SMS still has the highest open rates of any channel in Africa — but a great campaign is more than a blast. Here's a practical playbook.
1. Register a branded Sender ID
Recipients trust a name they recognise, and many operators require registration to deliver at all. Set yours up before you send.
2. Write for one segment
Keep the message within 160 characters (GSM-7) so it stays one segment — cheaper and faster. Lead with the value, not the greeting.
3. Personalise
Use merge fields (Hi {{name}}…) — personalised messages convert far better than generic ones.
4. Use a branded, trackable short link
Long URLs waste characters and break trust. Shorten with eSMS Links to save segments and see exactly which countries and devices clicked — so you can compare a Lagos push with a Nairobi one.
5. Time it right
Send when your audience is active (mid-morning or early evening in their timezone), not at 3am. Schedule sends to match.
6. Measure and iterate
Watch delivery reports and link clicks, then refine your copy, timing and audience. Small changes compound.
Ready to try it? Open the SMS dashboard or read the developer docs.