Request a Sender ID

How to request

Go to Sender IDs in the portal sidebar
Click Request sender ID
Fill in:
- Sender name - the ID you want (max 11 chars)
- Countries - select all countries you need it for
- Use case - describe what messages you'll send (OTP, marketing, alerts, etc.)
Submit - your request goes to the admin team for review

Via API

POST /api/sender-ids

{
  "name": "MyApp",
  "countries": ["UG", "KE", "NG"],
  "use_case": "OTP delivery for fintech mobile app serving East Africa"
}

Response:

{
  "id": 5,
  "name": "MyApp",
  "countries": ["UG", "KE", "NG"],
  "use_case": "OTP delivery for fintech mobile app serving East Africa",
  "status": "pending",
  "rejection_reason": null,
  "created_at": "2026-05-02T10:00:00Z"
}

Status flow

pending → approved
        ↘ rejected (with reason)

Status	Description
`pending`	Awaiting review by the eSMS Africa team
`approved`	Approved for the requested countries. You can now use it in API calls
`rejected`	Not approved. The `rejection_reason` field explains why

Approval timeline

Country	Typical time
South Africa	1–2 business days
Uganda, Kenya, Ghana	3–7 business days
Nigeria	7–14 business days (NCC registration required)
Tanzania	7–14 business days

These timelines depend on carrier processing. Complex use cases (financial services, healthcare) may take longer due to additional compliance checks.

List your sender IDs

GET /api/sender-ids

[
  {
    "id": 5,
    "name": "MyApp",
    "countries": ["UG", "KE"],
    "status": "approved",
    "rejection_reason": null,
    "created_at": "2026-05-02T10:00:00Z"
  }
]

Use an approved sender ID

Once approved, pass it in your send requests:

{
  "to": "+256712345678",
  "text": "Your OTP is 482910",
  "sender_id": "MyApp"
}

If MyApp is not approved for Uganda, the message will be rejected with a sender_id_not_approved error.

Tips for faster approval

Be specific in your use case - "OTP for user login" is better than "messaging"
Request only the countries you actually need - you can always add more later
Avoid generic names like Info, Alert, SMS - these are often reserved by carriers
For financial services, mention your regulatory status