Bulk SMS · +27

Send bulk SMS to South Africa

Bulk SMS to South Africa costs $0.00759 per message segment, with no monthly fee. South Africa's major cities, Johannesburg and Cape Town, rely on SMS for banking, retail, and logistics. SMS is a trusted channel for reaching customers in areas with varying internet access.

Create account All prices

South Africa

$0.00759

per SMS segment

+27 555 0100

Text Message · Today 10:30

Hello, your order is ready for collection today until 19:00. Thank you for shopping with us.

Calling code: +27
Per message: $0.00759
$40 sends: 5,270 SMS
Region: Africa

Cost

How much does bulk SMS to South Africa cost?

The rate is fixed per segment and the same for every mobile number in South Africa. Here is what common campaign sizes cost with a one-segment message, and with a longer two-segment message.

Bulk SMS cost to South Africa by campaign size
Recipients	1 segment	2 segments
100	$0.76	$1.52
1,000	$7.59	$15.18
5,000	$37.95	$75.90
10,000	$75.90	$151.80
50,000	$379.50	$759.00

Number format

How do I write South Africa numbers for a bulk SMS list?

Write numbers for South Africa in international format: the calling code +27 first, then the national number. If people in South Africa dial a domestic trunk prefix such as 0 at the start, leave it out after the calling code. A number written this way looks like +27 71 234 5678. Spaces and dashes are fine; the console removes them when it reads your list.

Language

Which alphabet do recipients in South Africa read?

Most recipients in South Africa read English, Afrikaans, Zulu and other official languages. Plain English, Afrikaans, Zulu text fits the GSM-7 alphabet, so one SMS segment holds 160 characters (153 per part when a message is split). An emoji or a curly quote switches the whole message to UCS-2 at 70 characters per segment.

Timing

When is the best time to send SMS to South Africa?

South Africa keeps one time offset, UTC+2, all year. Local 9:00 to 20:00 in Johannesburg is 07:00 to 18:00 UTC in January. The scheduler uses the time zone of your own browser, so convert the local hour you want before you pick it.

Country: South Africa
Calling code: +27
Region: Africa
Rate per segment: $0.00759
1,000 SMS: $7.59
$100 sends: 13,175 SMS
Segment size: 160 GSM-7 or 70 UCS-2 characters
Failed messages: Refunded automatically
Prices checked: 2026-11-07

What businesses send to South Africa

Sending banking alerts to customers
Notifying shoppers of retail promotions
Coordinating logistics for delivery drivers

Top-ups

How many messages does a top-up send to South Africa?

Top up from $40. The counts below use the South Africa rate and include the first top-up bonus.

$40
+10% first top-up
$44.00 balance
5,797 SMS to ZA
$100
+20% first top-up
$120.00 balance
15,810 SMS to ZA
$200
+25% first top-up
$250.00 balance
32,938 SMS to ZA
$300
+30% first top-up
$390.00 balance
51,383 SMS to ZA
$500
+35% first top-up
$675.00 balance
88,932 SMS to ZA
$1,000
+40% first top-up
$1,400.00 balance
184,453 SMS to ZA

Questions

Bulk SMS to South Africa: questions and answers

How much does it cost to send bulk SMS to South Africa?

Each SMS segment to South Africa costs $0.00759. A one-segment message to 1,000 recipients costs $7.59 and to 10,000 recipients $75.90. There is no monthly fee or setup cost.

How many SMS can I send to South Africa with $100?

$100 of balance sends 13,175 one-segment messages to South Africa, and the minimum top-up of $40 sends 5,270. Messages of two segments use the balance twice as fast.

Which alphabet should SMS to South Africa use?

Can I send SMS in multiple languages to South Africa?

Yes, but English is preferred for business communications, while local languages may be used for targeted campaigns.

Can I schedule an SMS campaign to South Africa?

Yes. Pick a date and time from 5 minutes to 60 days ahead in the console, or send a schedule time through the API. Times are entered in your own time zone and stored in UTC, and a scheduled campaign can be canceled for a full refund before it starts.

What happens if a message to South Africa fails?

The failed message is refunded to your balance automatically, and its delivery report shows the reason. You only pay for messages that reach the network.

Africa

Other countries in Africa

All countries in Africa

Send your first campaign to South Africa

Create an account, top up from $40 and reach mobile numbers across South Africa at $0.00759 per message.

Create account Read the API docs