Sender IDs
What sender IDs are and how they work across African countries.
A sender ID is the name or number displayed as the "From" field on a recipient's phone when they receive your SMS. Instead of seeing a random number, recipients see your brand name.
Types of sender IDs
| Type | Example | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Alphanumeric | MyApp, ClinicSMS | Max 11 characters. Most common for business use. Cannot receive replies. |
| Numeric | +254712345678 | A real phone number. Can receive replies. |
| Short code | 20880 | Country-specific, requires carrier agreement. |
The eSMS Africa platform primarily uses alphanumeric sender IDs.
Country requirements
Sender ID requirements vary by country. Some require pre-registration with carriers before use.
| Country | Registration required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Kenya 🇰🇪 | Yes | Must register with carriers. 7–14 day approval. |
| Uganda 🇺🇬 | Yes | Carrier registration required. |
| Nigeria 🇳🇬 | Yes | NCC registration. Business docs required. |
| Ghana 🇬🇭 | Yes | NCA registration. |
| South Africa 🇿🇦 | No | Alphanumeric sender IDs allowed without registration. |
| Tanzania 🇹🇿 | Yes | TCRA registration required. |
Using an unregistered sender ID in countries that require registration can result in message delivery failure or carrier blocking. Always request a sender ID before launching campaigns in new countries.
Default sender IDs
Each route has a default sender ID configured. If you don't specify sender_id in your API request, the route's default is used. You can view the default for each country on the Coverage & Pricing page.
Limits
- Length: 1–11 characters (alphanumeric sender IDs)
- Allowed characters: A–Z, a–z, 0–9, space
- Cannot start or end with a space
- Cannot be a reserved word (e.g.,
FREE,INFOin some countries)