Bulk SMS in Ethiopia reaches customers on both networks, Ethio telecom and Safaricom Ethiopia, but it needs a registered sender ID, numbers in +251 format, and templates planned for Amharic, which uses the Ge'ez (Ethiopic) script and is sent as Unicode at 70 characters per SMS. Under the Personal Data Protection Proclamation No. 1321/2024, enforced by the Ethiopian Communications Authority (ECA), data controllers must register with the Authority, consent must be free, specific and given by an active action, and anyone can object to direct marketing, after which their data must not be used for it.
Last reviewed: 28 October 2026
This guide is for Ethiopian banks, microfinance institutions, clinics, schools, retailers, NGOs and international organisations messaging people in Ethiopia. Our bulk SMS Ethiopia overview and Ethiopia compliance summary are shorter; here we cover the data protection proclamation article by article, sender ID registration, Amharic, Afaan Oromo and Tigrinya encoding, the Ethiopian clock and calendar in reminders, and a launch checklist.
The regulatory picture
| Body or law | Relevance to SMS |
|---|---|
| Ethiopian Communications Authority (ECA) | Telecoms regulator and the Authority that enforces the data protection proclamation |
| Personal Data Protection Proclamation No. 1321/2024 | Consent, objection to marketing, registration of controllers, minors |
| Ethio telecom and Safaricom Ethiopia | Operate the networks and apply sender ID and content rules |
What Proclamation 1321/2024 says
The proclamation was published in the Federal Negarit Gazette in July 2024. The provisions that shape an SMS programme:
- Direct marketing defined (Art. 2(28)): any advertising or marketing material directed to particular individuals, which covers promotional SMS.
- Valid consent (Art. 2(14) and Art. 8): freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous, requiring "an active action" from the person. Consent cannot be bundled with other terms and conditions, and it can be withdrawn at any time. A pre-ticked box in your app's terms does not qualify.
- Right to object (Art. 29): a person may object to processing for direct marketing, and once they do, "the personal data shall no longer be processed for that purpose."
- Minors (Art. 11(4)): processing a minor's personal data for marketing is prohibited, which matters for schools and youth brands.
- Registration (Art. 33 and 35): data controllers and processors must be registered with the Authority, which issues a certificate valid for two years.
In practice: collect a separate, clearly worded opt-in for promotions, keep proof of it, give an opt-out in every promotion, and remove objectors at once. Service messages such as appointment reminders and account alerts sit on a different legal basis, but still collect only the data you need.
Networks and number format
Ethiopia has two mobile networks: Ethio telecom, the long-standing operator, and Safaricom Ethiopia, the newer entrant. Ethio telecom mobile numbers start with 09 and Safaricom Ethiopia numbers with 07. In E.164 drop the 0 and add +251, so 091 123 4567 becomes +251911234567 and 070 123 4567 becomes +251701234567. eSMS Africa delivers to both networks. Many people carry a SIM from each, so keep both numbers if a customer gives them, and use delivery reports to see which one reaches them.
Sender ID registration
Industry guidance reports that alphanumeric sender IDs must be pre-registered with Ethio telecom, and that unregistered names fail or are replaced. Typical requests are a business licence, a signed authorisation letter on letterhead, sample content and the expected traffic type. Choose a Latin-character name of up to 11 characters that matches your registered business, such as BETHELCLNC. eSMS Africa prepares and submits the registration and you can test on the eSMS default sender meanwhile. Details and the current fee are on the Ethiopia sender ID page and in the Ethiopia sender ID article.
Amharic, Afaan Oromo, Tigrinya and message length
Ethiopia's languages use two scripts, and the script decides the cost:
| Language | Script | Encoding | Characters per SMS (single / per part) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amharic | Ge'ez (Ethiopic) | Unicode | 70 / 67 |
| Tigrinya | Ge'ez (Ethiopic) | Unicode | 70 / 67 |
| Afaan Oromo | Latin (Qubee) | GSM-7, usually | 160 / 153 |
| English | Latin | GSM-7 | 160 / 153 |
Each Ge'ez character is a syllable (a consonant plus vowel), so Amharic carries more meaning per character than English, which softens the 70-character limit. Still, write Amharic templates tightly: put the brand, the key fact and the time in the first line, and leave long explanations to a short link. Afaan Oromo written in Qubee generally fits GSM-7, but the apostrophe-like mark used for glottal stops must be a plain apostrophe; a curly one copied from a word processor switches the message to Unicode.
Make sure your systems save Amharic text as UTF-8 end to end. A database or CSV export with the wrong encoding turns Ge'ez into question marks, and that is what the customer will receive.
Times and dates in reminders
Many Ethiopians tell time on a local clock that counts hours from about 6 in the morning, so 9:00 AM international time is "3 o'clock in the morning" locally. Ethiopia also uses its own calendar, which differs from the Gregorian calendar by seven to eight years and has 13 months. For appointment, exam and payment reminders, state which convention you use, or give both, as in this clinic example:
curl -X POST https://sms.esmsafrica.io/api/messages/send \
-H "Authorization: Bearer esms_live_your_key" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"to": "+251911234567",
"sender_id": "BETHELCLNC",
"text": "ቤቴል ክሊኒክ: ቀጠሮዎ ነገ ከጠዋቱ 3:00 ሰዓት ነው (9:00 AM)።"}'
The Amharic reads "Bethel Clinic: your appointment is tomorrow at 3:00 in the morning", with the international time in brackets. Test both versions with a few real customers before a wide send.
Payment habits
Mobile money is widely used through telebirr (Ethio telecom) and M-PESA (Safaricom Ethiopia), alongside bank mobile apps. Payment reminders should name the exact amount in ETB, the merchant or short code to pay, and a reference, and should warn customers never to share their PIN.
Sample messages
| Use case | Message |
|---|---|
| Microfinance repayment (English) | Abay MFI: Your repayment of ETB 2,400 is due 10/11. Pay via telebirr or M-PESA, ref AB7712. We never ask for your PIN. |
| Clinic reminder (Amharic + time) | ቤቴል ክሊኒክ: ቀጠሮዎ ነገ ከጠዋቱ 3:00 ሰዓት ነው (9:00 AM)። |
| Retail promotion (English) | Selam Stores Bole: New school bags in stock this week. Opt out: go.esmsafrica.io/ss-off |
Two-way short codes can be ordered online for Ethiopia, so customers can opt in by keyword or reply; see two-way SMS.
Pricing
An Ethiopia SMS starts at ETB 5.7959 ($0.0356) per segment at the entry tier and ETB 5.3889 at the business tier. Amharic and Tigrinya messages use 70-character segments, so count them in your budget. Pay as you go from USD 20 by card in USD or crypto. See pricing.
Launch checklist
- Register as a data controller with the ECA, or confirm your certificate is current.
- Collect a separate, unbundled opt-in for promotions and record it.
- Exclude minors from marketing lists.
- Register a sender ID with your business documents.
- Save contacts and templates in UTF-8 and check Amharic renders on a real phone.
- Normalise numbers to +251 and keep both Ethio telecom and Safaricom numbers where given.
- State the time convention in every reminder.
- Add an opt-out to every promotion and act on objections immediately.
- Test on both networks before sending to your full list.
Frequently asked questions
Does Amharic SMS cost more than English?
Per character, yes: Amharic is sent as Unicode, so one SMS holds 70 characters instead of 160. Because each Ge'ez character is a syllable, many Amharic messages still fit in one or two segments.
Can I reach both Ethio telecom and Safaricom customers?
Yes. eSMS Africa delivers to both networks. Store numbers in +251 format and the route is chosen for you.
Do I need consent for appointment reminders?
Reminders for a service the person booked are not direct marketing under the proclamation's definition. Promotional messages are, and need a valid opt-in and an easy way to object.
Who enforces data protection in Ethiopia?
The Ethiopian Communications Authority, which also keeps the register of data controllers and processors under Proclamation 1321/2024.
Sources
- Personal Data Protection Proclamation No. 1321/2024 (English text)
- Michalsons - The Ethiopian data protection law
- Dablo Law Firm - Ethiopia enacts Personal Data Protection Proclamation No. 1321/2024
- DLA Piper - Data protection laws of the world: Ethiopia
- Ethiopian Communications Authority
- eSMS Africa - HTTP API documentation
For integration detail see the Ethiopia SMS API article and OTP for Ethiopia; coverage is on the Ethiopia SMS page. Create an eSMS Africa account and send a test in Amharic and English to your own phones on both networks.
