SMS destination
South Africa
Dialing code +27 · Africa. Everything you need to send compliant SMS to South Africa with the Bird SMS API.
Before you send
This destination requires sender registration before traffic can deliver. Lead times are listed per sender type below. File once from the dashboard and track approval through the API.
How sender-ID registration works →What you can send
The channels and number types Bird can deliver to recipients in this country, taken from our live routing configuration.
SMS
Supported
Voice
Supported
MMS
Not available
Supported
Long-code two-way
Supported
Inbound replies supported
EEA destination
Not available
Sender types
Every way you can originate a message to this country, with how each is cleared for use and how long that takes.
| Sender | Activation | Setup time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alphanumeric sender ID | Manual review | ~14 days | Branded text sender. One-way only — recipients cannot reply. |
| Long code | Manual review | ~14 days | SMS · Voice. SMS reachable only from: ZA |
| Short code | Manual review | Varies | High-throughput dedicated code for large volumes and two-way campaigns. |
| Business verification | Varies | Rich conversational messaging on the WhatsApp Business Platform. |
Not available for this destination: Toll-free number.
Recommended senders by use case
Bird ranks sender types by expected delivery quality for each kind of traffic. Pick from the best tier you can register for.
Transactional
Receipts, order updates, and account notifications.
Best
Good
2FA & OTP
One-time passcodes and login verification.
Best
Good
Promotional
Marketing offers and campaign sends.
Best
Good
Conversational
Two-way support and customer-care threads.
Good
Emergency
Critical and public-safety alerts.
Best
Good
How sending works
You send to every destination through the same endpoint and the same keys. Bird picks a compliant route for the country, applies opt-out handling on every message, and reports delivery from carrier receipts. The country-specific part is which sender you register — the API call does not change.
The rest of the SMS platform
One API, one set of keys. Explore the other capabilities.
Start sending to South Africa
Create a workspace, register a sender, and send your first message from the same API you will scale on.