Case Study: OKO Insurance transforms farmer communication and boosts registrations with 8x8's WhatsApp Chat Apps API

OKO Insurance use WhatsApp and 8x8 to transform communication with African farmers

OKO Insurance, a Tel Aviv‑based insurer providing affordable crop coverage to smallholder farmers in emerging markets, faced the challenge of reaching remote, often illiterate customers with low incomes and limited access to banking. A Mali pilot exposed the limits of SMS (costly for farmers and text‑only), high inbound volume (about 600 calls/day) and the need to educate customers on insurance products to drive adoption.

OKO adopted 8x8’s Chat Apps API to use WhatsApp for voice, video and chat, supported by onboarding and a chatbot to deliver initial information and automated services. The shift matched farmer preferences (about 30% already using WhatsApp and most favoring voice), improved customer experience and sales efficiency, freed contact‑centre resources for qualified leads, and helped secure 1,800 paying customers in the inaugural season while lowering acquisition costs and enabling future expansion to other messaging platforms.

OKO

Simon Schwall

CEO and Co-founder