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Senegal SMS Best Practices, Compliance, and Features
Senegal SMS Market Overview
Locale name:
Senegal
ISO code:
SN
Region
Middle East & Africa
Mobile country code (MCC)
608
Dialing Code
+221
Market Conditions: Senegal has a growing mobile market with significant SMS usage for both personal and business communications. The country's major mobile operators include Orange, Free (formerly Tigo), and Expresso. While OTT messaging apps like WhatsApp are gaining popularity, particularly in urban areas, SMS remains a crucial communication channel due to its reliability and universal reach. Android devices dominate the market, with iOS having a smaller presence primarily in major cities.
Key SMS Features and Capabilities in Senegal
Senegal 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 Senegal according to current operator specifications. This means businesses can send messages to users, but cannot receive replies through the same channel.
Concatenated Messages (Segmented SMS)
Support: Concatenated messaging is not supported in Senegal. Message length rules: Messages must conform to standard SMS length limitations. Encoding considerations: Both GSM-7 and UCS-2 encoding are supported, with GSM-7 allowing up to 160 characters and UCS-2 allowing up to 70 characters per message.
MMS Support
MMS messages are automatically converted to SMS with an embedded URL link. This means that any multimedia content must be hosted separately and accessed via the provided link. This approach ensures compatibility while still enabling the sharing of rich media content.
Recipient Phone Number Compatibility
Number Portability
Number portability is not available in Senegal. This means that mobile numbers remain tied to their original carrier, simplifying message routing but limiting consumer flexibility.
Sending SMS to Landlines
Sending SMS to landline numbers is not possible in Senegal. Attempts to send messages to landline numbers will result in a failed delivery and may trigger a 400 response error (code 21614) from messaging APIs. These messages will not appear in logs and accounts will not be charged for failed attempts.
Compliance and Regulatory Guidelines for SMS in Senegal
SMS communications in Senegal are regulated by the Autorité de Régulation des Télécommunications et des Postes (ARTP). While specific SMS marketing regulations are still evolving, businesses must adhere to general telecommunications guidelines and international best practices.
Consent and Opt-In
Explicit Consent Requirements:
Obtain clear, documented consent before sending marketing messages
Maintain detailed records of when and how consent was obtained
Include your business name and purpose in initial opt-in messages
Provide clear terms and conditions during the opt-in process
Best Practices for Documentation:
Store consent records with timestamp and source
Maintain an auditable trail of opt-in methods
Regularly update and clean consent databases
Implement double opt-in for marketing campaigns
HELP/STOP and Other Commands
All SMS campaigns must support standard STOP commands
HELP and STOP messages should be available in both French and Wolof
Common keywords to support:
STOP, ARRET, ARRÊT (stop messages)
AIDE, HELP (get help)
INFO (get information)
Do Not Call / Do Not Disturb Registries
Senegal does not maintain an official Do Not Call registry. However, businesses should:
Maintain their own suppression lists
Honor opt-out requests within 24 hours
Regularly clean contact databases
Implement automated opt-out processing
Time Zone Sensitivity
Time Restrictions:
Avoid sending messages between 10 PM and 6 AM local time (GMT/UTC)
Respect Ramadan timing adjustments
Consider Friday prayer times (2-4 PM)
Phone Numbers Options and SMS Sender Types for in Senegal
Alphanumeric Sender ID
Operator network capability: Supported Registration requirements: Pre-registration not required Sender ID preservation: Yes, sender IDs are preserved as specified Dynamic usage: Supported across most networks
Long Codes
Domestic vs. International:
Domestic long codes not available
International long codes supported
Sender ID preservation: No, international long codes may be modified
Provisioning time: 1-2 business days
Use cases:
Transactional messages
Customer support
Two-factor authentication
Short Codes
Support: Available but limited
Provisioning time: 8-12 weeks
Use cases:
Marketing campaigns
High-volume messaging
Premium services
Restricted SMS Content, Industries, and Use Cases
Restricted Industries:
Gambling and betting services
Adult content and dating services
Cryptocurrency and unauthorized financial services
Political campaign messages without proper authorization
Sensitive Industries Requirements:
Financial services must include sender identification
Healthcare messages must maintain patient confidentiality
Educational institutions need proper accreditation
Content Filtering
Known Carrier Filters:
URLs from unknown domains
Multiple exclamation marks
ALL CAPS messages
Excessive special characters
Best Practices to Avoid Filtering:
Use approved sender IDs
Maintain consistent sending patterns
Avoid URL shorteners
Keep content professional and clear
Best Practices for Sending SMS in Senegal
Messaging Strategy
Keep messages under 160 characters when possible
Include clear call-to-actions
Personalize messages with recipient's name
Maintain consistent brand voice
Sending Frequency and Timing
Limit to 4-5 messages per month per recipient
Respect religious and cultural holidays
Avoid sending during major sporting events
Space out messages to prevent fatigue
Localization
Primary languages: French and Wolof
Consider regional dialects for specific areas
Use appropriate formal/informal tone
Include both French and Wolof in critical messages
Opt-Out Management
Process opt-outs within 24 hours
Maintain centralized opt-out database
Confirm opt-out with one final message
Regular audit of opt-out lists
Testing and Monitoring
Test across all major carriers (Orange, Free, Expresso)
Monitor delivery rates by carrier
Track engagement metrics
Regular A/B testing of message content
SMS API integrations for Senegal
Twilio
Twilio provides a robust SMS API with comprehensive support for Senegal. Integration requires an account SID and auth token for authentication.
Key Parameters:
from: Alphanumeric sender ID (up to 11 characters)
to: Recipient number in E.164 format (+221XXXXXXXXX)
body: Message content (supports UTF-8 encoding)
import*as Twilio from'twilio';// Initialize Twilio clientconst client =newTwilio(process.env.TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID, process.env.TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN);asyncfunctionsendSMSToSenegal(){try{// Send message with error handlingconst message =await client.messages.create({ body:'Bonjour! Your verification code is: 123456', from:'YourBrand',// Alphanumeric sender ID to:'+221XXXXXXXXX'// Senegal number});console.log(`Message sent successfully! SID: ${message.sid}`);return message;}catch(error){console.error('Error sending message:', error);throw error;}}
Sinch
Sinch offers direct operator connections in Senegal with support for both transactional and marketing messages.