• South African entrepreneur Thabo Leotlela founded Synapes AI in 2024 to automate customer communication through AI-powered omnichannel chatbots.

• The platform centralizes conversations, generates sales leads and automates repetitive customer service tasks across multiple channels.

• Leotlela leverages a background in accounting and financial management to build technology solutions that improve business efficiency.

South African entrepreneur Thabo Leotlela, a trained accountant and business founder, serves as the chief executive officer and founder of Synapes AI, a technology start-up that helps organizations automate customer interactions and optimize digital communications.

Founded in 2024, Synapes AI builds its offering around intelligent omnichannel chatbots designed to streamline customer experiences. The company aims to deliver instant responses while automating repetitive interactions that frequently burden customer support and after-sales teams. By centralizing communication flows on a single interface, the platform provides continuous and consistent engagement around the clock. As a result, customers can interact with brands at any time without experiencing service interruptions.

Synapes AI positions its technology as more than a customer service solution. The platform actively supports lead generation by engaging website visitors, identifying customer needs and collecting strategic information during initial interactions. Consequently, businesses can accelerate sales prospecting efforts while improving customer engagement processes.

The company also differentiates itself through its omnichannel architecture. The platform enables conversations to move seamlessly between communication channels, such as websites and messaging applications, without losing contextual information. As a result, users maintain continuity throughout the customer journey regardless of the channel they choose.

Synapes AI automates time-consuming activities such as answering frequently asked questions, scheduling appointments and collecting basic customer information. The platform allows employees to focus on higher-value tasks by reducing administrative workloads and repetitive interactions. Consequently, organizations can improve productivity while maintaining consistent customer engagement.

Leotlela draws on extensive experience in finance and business management to develop operational efficiency solutions. He holds a professional accounting qualification from the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA). He began his career in 2013 with the City Lodge Hotel Group in South Africa.

He subsequently expanded his financial management experience across several organizations, including mining-sector company AMIS. He later transitioned into technology entrepreneurship, where he combined his financial expertise with emerging technologies to build digital solutions for businesses.

This article was initially published in French by Melchior Koba

Adapted in English by Ange J. A de Berry Quenum