Seychelles SMS Best Practices, Compliance, and Features

Seychelles SMS Market Overview

Market Conditions: Seychelles has a growing mobile telecommunications market with increasing SMS usage for both personal and business communications. The market is primarily served by major operators like Airtel, which maintains a significant presence in the region. While OTT messaging apps are gaining popularity, SMS remains a reliable communication channel, particularly for business-to-consumer communications and critical notifications due to its universal reach and reliability.

Key SMS Features and Capabilities in Seychelles

Seychelles supports basic SMS functionality with some limitations on advanced features like two-way messaging and concatenation.

Two-way SMS Support

Two-way SMS is not supported in Seychelles according to current platform capabilities. This means businesses can send outbound messages, but cannot receive replies through the same channel.

Concatenated Messages (Segmented SMS)

Support: Concatenated messaging is not supported in Seychelles.
Message length rules: Standard SMS length limits apply.
Encoding considerations: Messages should be kept within single SMS length limits to ensure reliable delivery.

MMS Support

MMS messages are not directly supported in Seychelles. Instead, MMS content is automatically converted to SMS with an embedded URL link where recipients can view the multimedia content. This ensures that rich media can still be shared while maintaining compatibility with local network capabilities.

Recipient Phone Number Compatibility

Number Portability

Number portability is not available in Seychelles. This means mobile numbers remain tied to their original carrier, which can simplify message routing and delivery.

Sending SMS to Landlines

Sending SMS to landline numbers is not possible in Seychelles. Attempts to send messages to landline numbers will result in a 400 response with error code 21614. These messages will not appear in logs, and accounts will not be charged for failed attempts.

Compliance and Regulatory Guidelines for SMS in Seychelles

The Seychelles Communications Regulatory Authority, established under the Communications Act 2023, oversees electronic communications services including SMS messaging. While specific SMS regulations are evolving, businesses must adhere to general telecommunications guidelines and international best practices.

Consent and Opt-In

Explicit Consent Requirements:

• Obtain clear, documented opt-in consent before sending marketing messages
• Maintain detailed records of when and how consent was obtained
• Include clear terms of service and privacy policy references
• Specify the types of messages users will receive and approximate frequency

HELP/STOP and Other Commands

• All SMS campaigns must support standard STOP and HELP commands
• Messages should be in English or French (official languages of Seychelles)
• Include opt-out instructions in the first message of any new campaign
• Process STOP requests immediately and send confirmation message

Do Not Call / Do Not Disturb Registries

While Seychelles does not maintain an official Do Not Call registry, businesses should:

• Maintain their own suppression lists
• Honor opt-out requests immediately
• Keep records of opted-out numbers
• Regularly clean contact lists to remove unsubscribed numbers

Time Zone Sensitivity

Seychelles follows SCT (Seychelles Time, UTC+4) Recommended Sending Windows:

• Business messages: 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM SCT
• Urgent notifications: 24/7 permitted if essential
• Marketing messages: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM SCT on business days

Phone Numbers Options and SMS Sender Types for Seychelles

Alphanumeric Sender ID

Operator network capability: Supported
Registration requirements: Dynamic usage allowed without pre-registration
Sender ID preservation: May be overwritten on Airtel network with generic alphanumeric ID

Long Codes

Domestic vs. International:

• Domestic long codes: Supported by operators but not currently available through major platforms
• International long codes: Limited support

Sender ID preservation: Variable depending on carrier
Provisioning time: N/A for domestic, varies for international
Use cases: Transactional messaging, alerts, notifications

Short Codes

Support: Available through local carriers
Provisioning time: Not currently supported through major platforms
Use cases: High-volume messaging, marketing campaigns, 2FA

Restricted SMS Content, Industries, and Use Cases

Restricted Industries and Content:

• Gambling and betting services
• Adult content or services
• Cryptocurrency promotions
• Unauthorized financial services
• Political messaging without proper authorization

Content Filtering

Known Carrier Rules:

• URLs may trigger spam filters
• Multiple exclamation marks often flagged
• All-caps messages may be blocked

Best Practices to Avoid Filtering:

• Use clear, professional language
• Avoid excessive punctuation
• Include company name in sender ID
• Limit URL usage in messages

Best Practices for Sending SMS in Seychelles

Messaging Strategy

• Keep messages under 160 characters when possible
• Include clear call-to-action
• Use personalization tokens thoughtfully
• Maintain consistent sender ID

Sending Frequency and Timing

• Limit marketing messages to 2-4 per month per recipient
• Respect local holidays and weekends
• Avoid sending during major cultural or religious events
• Space out messages to prevent recipient fatigue

Localization

• Primary languages: English and French
• Consider Seychellois Creole for specific campaigns
• Use appropriate date formats (DD/MM/YYYY)
• Account for local cultural nuances

Opt-Out Management

• Process opt-outs within 24 hours
• Maintain centralized opt-out database
• Send opt-out confirmation message
• Regular audit of opt-out compliance

Testing and Monitoring

• Test across major local carriers
• Monitor delivery rates by carrier
• Track engagement metrics
• Regular A/B testing of message content
• Document and analyze failure patterns

SMS API integrations for Seychelles

Twilio

Twilio provides a robust SMS API for sending messages to Seychelles. Here's how to implement it:

import * as Twilio from 'twilio';

// Initialize Twilio client with your credentials
const client = new Twilio(
  process.env.TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID,
  process.env.TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN
);

// Function to send SMS to Seychelles
async function sendSMSToSeychelles(
  to: string,
  message: string,
  senderId: string
) {
  try {
    // Ensure phone number is in E.164 format for Seychelles (+248)
    const formattedNumber = to.startsWith('+248') ? to : `+248${to}`;
    
    const response = await client.messages.create({
      body: message,
      from: senderId,  // Your approved sender ID
      to: formattedNumber,
    });
    
    console.log(`Message sent successfully! SID: ${response.sid}`);
    return response;
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Error sending message:', error);
    throw error;
  }
}

Sinch

Sinch offers comprehensive SMS capabilities for Seychelles through their REST API:

import axios from 'axios';

class SinchSMSService {
  private readonly apiToken: string;
  private readonly serviceId: string;
  private readonly baseUrl = 'https://sms.api.sinch.com/xms/v1';

  constructor(apiToken: string, serviceId: string) {
    this.apiToken = apiToken;
    this.serviceId = serviceId;
  }

  async sendSMS(to: string, message: string) {
    try {
      const response = await axios.post(
        `${this.baseUrl}/${this.serviceId}/batches`,
        {
          from: "YourSenderID",
          to: [to],
          body: message
        },
        {
          headers: {
            'Authorization': `Bearer ${this.apiToken}`,
            'Content-Type': 'application/json'
          }
        }
      );
      
      return response.data;
    } catch (error) {
      console.error('Sinch SMS Error:', error);
      throw error;
    }
  }
}

MessageBird

MessageBird provides a straightforward API for SMS delivery to Seychelles:

import messagebird from 'messagebird';

class MessageBirdService {
  private client: any;

  constructor(apiKey: string) {
    this.client = messagebird(apiKey);
  }

  sendSMS(to: string, message: string, senderId: string): Promise<any> {
    return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
      this.client.messages.create({
        originator: senderId,
        recipients: [to],
        body: message
      }, (err: any, response: any) => {
        if (err) {
          reject(err);
        } else {
          resolve(response);
        }
      });
    });
  }
}

Plivo

Plivo's API integration for Seychelles SMS messaging:

import plivo from 'plivo';

class PlivoSMSService {
  private client: any;

  constructor(authId: string, authToken: string) {
    this.client = new plivo.Client(authId, authToken);
  }

  async sendSMS(to: string, message: string, senderId: string) {
    try {
      const response = await this.client.messages.create({
        src: senderId,
        dst: to,
        text: message,
      });
      return response;
    } catch (error) {
      console.error('Plivo SMS Error:', error);
      throw error;
    }
  }
}

API Rate Limits and Throughput

• Default rate limit: 100 messages per second
• Batch processing recommended for volumes over 1000/hour
• Implement exponential backoff for retry logic
• Queue messages during peak times

Throughput Management Strategies:

• Implement message queuing system
• Use batch APIs for bulk sending
• Monitor delivery rates and adjust sending speed
• Implement circuit breakers for error handling

Error Handling and Reporting

Common Error Scenarios:

• Invalid phone numbers
• Network timeouts
• Rate limit exceeded
• Invalid sender ID

Logging Best Practices:

interface SMSLog {
  messageId: string;
  timestamp: Date;
  recipient: string;
  status: string;
  errorCode?: string;
  retryCount?: number;
}

function logSMSEvent(log: SMSLog): void {
  // Implement your logging logic here
  console.log(JSON.stringify(log));
}

Recap and Additional Resources

Key Takeaways

1. Compliance Priorities:

   • Obtain explicit consent
   • Honor opt-out requests
   • Respect sending hours
   • Maintain proper records

2. Technical Considerations:

   • Use E.164 number formatting
   • Implement proper error handling
   • Monitor delivery rates
   • Test across carriers

3. Best Practices:

   • Keep messages concise
   • Use approved sender IDs
   • Implement rate limiting
   • Regular testing and monitoring

Next Steps

1. Review the Communications Act 2023 for compliance requirements
2. Set up test accounts with preferred SMS providers
3. Implement proper logging and monitoring
4. Develop error handling strategies

Additional Resources

• Seychelles Communications Regulatory Authority
• Communications Act 2023
• SMS Technical Guidelines
• Local Telecommunications Standards