A lot of passion and energy goes into finding your dream car and sometimes, your unique requirements can only be expressed in your mother tongue.
Most car search engines are designed to only accept English terminology so, if you’re looking for a vura vura, lekker wiele, gusheshe or caracara, you’ll most likely to be met with “no results found”. Weelee, a leader in omnichannel used car buying and selling, has changed that with the launch of a generative AI-powered search engine that allows users to find their ideal car in any of South Africa’s 11 official languages.
This technology represents a significant leap forward in the way people shop for cars by removing the restrictions of traditional search filters. In addition to its multilingual capability, the search engine also allows users to type as they would talk when searching for a car. For example, “find me a reliable car for a student” instantly results in a refined selection of cost-effective but dependable cars while “I’m looking for a sleek sedan under R200k” or “sporty, red, convertible” delivers just that,” says Anton De Souza, CEO of Weelee. “The days of having the apply multiple filters are over. With precision and speed, car shoppers can now find exactly what they are looking for, in any language of their choice. This intuitive tool has improved the overall efficiency of the car-buying process and has reimagined how customers interact with online car buying platforms.”
Generative AI is enhancing the automative industry in many ways from the way cars are designed, to how they are manufactured and marketed. It’s an industry valued at over $389 million and, according to McKinsey, is set to generate an additional $300 billion to $400 billion annually by 2035. For Weelee, generative AI is transforming its overall customer experience by delivering a personalised content that resonates.
“The majority of South Africans start their car buying journey online but are forced to conduct their research in English which is the first language of just 4.9 million people. A search engine that adapts to your language preference makes buying a car a lot more enjoyable and accessible to a lot more people,” concludes Du Souza.