Reliable SMS delivery to South Africa

Send SMS to South Africa

Connect with 100M mobile users in South Africa. Experience reliable 99.5% $0.100 per message.

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99.5%

Delivery Rate

<200ms

Response Time

Connected

📱

100M Users

South Africa National Network

Live Sync

⚡

Direct Routing

<200ms Average latency

Reliability

Market Overview

Mobile Market in South Africa

Understanding the local mobile landscape for effective SMS campaigns

60M

Population

N/A

Penetration

+27

Country Code

Africa/Johannesburg

Timezone

South Africa has a modern mobile infrastructure. SMS remains an effective communication channel for businesses.

Network Operators

Local Mobile Networks

Direct connections with all major mobile operators in South Africa

TelAfrica (Wirles Connect)

$ 0.100 per SMS

5G Network Unicode Support Delivery Receipts +1 more

Delivery optimized for South Africa. Features: 5G Network, Unicode Support, Delivery Receipts, Priority Routing.

Virgin Mobile

$ 0.100 per SMS

5G Network Unicode Support Delivery Receipts +1 more

Delivery optimized for South Africa. Features: 5G Network, Unicode Support, Delivery Receipts, Priority Routing.

WBS Mobile

$ 0.100 per SMS

5G Network Unicode Support Delivery Receipts +1 more

Delivery optimized for South Africa. Features: 5G Network, Unicode Support, Delivery Receipts, Priority Routing.

Cell C

$ 0.132 per SMS

5G Network Unicode Support Delivery Receipts +1 more

Delivery optimized for South Africa. Features: 5G Network, Unicode Support, Delivery Receipts, Priority Routing.

MTN

$ 0.132 per SMS

5G Network Unicode Support Delivery Receipts +1 more

Delivery optimized for South Africa. Features: 5G Network, Unicode Support, Delivery Receipts, Priority Routing.

Telkom Mobile

$ 0.132 per SMS

5G Network Unicode Support Delivery Receipts +1 more

Delivery optimized for South Africa. Features: 5G Network, Unicode Support, Delivery Receipts, Priority Routing.

Vodacom

$ 0.132 per SMS

5G Network Unicode Support Delivery Receipts +1 more

Delivery optimized for South Africa. Features: 5G Network, Unicode Support, Delivery Receipts, Priority Routing.

Use Cases

Popular Use Cases in South Africa

How businesses use SMS to connect with customers in South Africa

E-commerce & Retail

Order confirmations and promotional campaigns for South Africa's retail market

Order confirmations
Shipping notifications
Flash sale alerts

Banking & FinTech

OTP verification and transaction alerts for South Africa's financial sector

OTP verification
Transaction alerts
Security notifications

Healthcare

Appointment reminders in South Africa's healthcare system

Appointment reminders
Test results
Health tips

Business Services

Customer engagement and notifications for businesses in South Africa

Meeting reminders
Verification codes
Status updates

Start Building Your SMS Campaign

Developer Friendly

Easy Integration

Connect with our API and start sending SMS to South Africa in minutes

 // Send SMS to South Africa - POST Request
const response = await fetch('https://api.smspm.com', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {
    'Content-Type': 'application/json'
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    hash: 'e3dbe013-6f66-4fae-8ae2-96c364cb6b61',
    toNumber: '+27XXXXXXXX',
    text: 'Hello! Your verification code is 123456.',
    fromNumber: 'smspm.com',
    token: 'YOUR_API_TOKEN'
  })
});

const result = await response.json();
console.log('Message sent:', result); 
 import requests

# Send SMS to South Africa - POST Request
response = requests.post('https://api.smspm.com', 
    json={
        'hash': 'e3dbe013-6f66-4fae-8ae2-96c364cb6b61',
        'toNumber': '+27XXXXXXXX',
        'text': 'Hello! Your verification code is 123456.',
        'fromNumber': 'smspm.com',
        'token': 'YOUR_API_TOKEN'
    }
)

result = response.json()
print(f"Message sent: {result}") 
 <?php
// Send SMS to South Africa - POST Request
$data = [
    'hash' => 'e3dbe013-6f66-4fae-8ae2-96c364cb6b61',
    'toNumber' => '+27XXXXXXXX',
    'text' => 'Hello! Your verification code is 123456.',
    'fromNumber' => 'smspm.com',
    'token' => 'YOUR_API_TOKEN'
];

$ch = curl_init('https://api.smspm.com');
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POST, 1);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, json_encode($data));
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER, [
    'Content-Type: application/json'
]);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true);

$result = curl_exec($ch);
$response = json_decode($result, true);
echo "Message sent: " . print_r($response, true); 
 # Send SMS to South Africa - POST Request
curl -X POST https://api.smspm.com \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "hash": "e3dbe013-6f66-4fae-8ae2-96c364cb6b61",
    "toNumber": "+27XXXXXXXX",
    "text": "Hello! Your verification code is 123456.",
    "fromNumber": "smspm.com",
    "token": "YOUR_API_TOKEN"
  }'

# Alternative GET Request
curl "https://api.smspm.com?hash=e3dbe013-6f66-4fae-8ae2-96c364cb6b61&toNumber=%2B27XXXXXXXX&text=Hello!+Your verification code is 123456.&fromNumber=smspm.com&token=YOUR_API_TOKEN" 

Features

REST API

Simple HTTP-based API that works with any programming language

South Africa Language Support

Full Unicode support for local characters and languages

Real-time Delivery Reports

Track message delivery status with detailed analytics

Webhook Notifications

Receive real-time updates on message status changes

View API Documentation

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about sending SMS to South Africa

How much does it cost to send an SMS to South Africa?

SMS pricing to South Africa starts from $0.100 per message. Final cost depends on the mobile carrier. Long messages are automatically split: 160 characters for standard text (GSM-7) or 70 characters for Unicode (emojis, special characters). Each part is charged separately.

What are the character limits for SMS to South Africa?

Standard SMS (GSM-7 encoding) allows 160 characters per message. Unicode messages (containing emojis, Cyrillic, Arabic, Chinese, or special characters) are limited to 70 characters. Long messages are automatically split into parts: GSM-7 uses 153 characters per part, Unicode uses 67 characters per part. Each part is billed as a separate message.

Which mobile carriers are supported in South Africa?

We support all major mobile carriers in South Africa, including TelAfrica (Wirles Connect), Virgin Mobile, WBS Mobile and others. Messages are routed through reliable SMS aggregators to ensure delivery.

How long does SMS delivery take to South Africa?

Messages typically arrive within 5-10 seconds when the recipient's phone is on and has network coverage. Delivery rate is approximately 99.5% for active devices. Messages to switched-off phones or invalid numbers may fail, lowering the overall success rate. You can check message status using our API or receive delivery reports via callbacks.

Do I need to register my Sender ID for South Africa?

Yes, sender IDs must be pre-approved before use. To register: (1) Log into your account at app.smspm.com, (2) Navigate to SMS page, (3) Click 'Sender request' button, (4) Submit your desired sender ID for approval. By default, 'smspm.com' is activated. Alphanumeric sender IDs are limited to 11 characters, numeric to 15 digits.

What encoding is used for messages to South Africa?

Encoding is detected automatically. Standard text uses GSM-7 bit encoding (160 chars). Messages with Unicode characters (emojis, non-Latin alphabets) automatically switch to UCS-2 encoding (70 chars). Extended GSM characters like €, [, ], {, }, |, ~, ^ count as 2 characters. You don't need to specify encoding—our API handles it automatically.

Compliance

SMS Regulations in South Africa

Stay compliant with local regulations and best practices

Data Protection

Comply with local data protection regulations when sending SMS to South Africa.

Opt-out Requirements

Respect user preferences and maintain opt-out lists.

Content Guidelines

Follow local content regulations and cultural norms.

Need Compliance Guidance?

Our compliance experts can help you navigate local regulations and ensure your SMS campaigns meet all requirements.

Contact Compliance Team

Ready to Send SMS to South Africa?

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