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Mozambique SMS Best Practices, Compliance, and Features
Mozambique SMS Market Overview
Locale name:
Mozambique
ISO code:
MZ
Region
Middle East & Africa
Mobile country code (MCC)
643
Dialing Code
+258
Market Conditions: Mozambique has a growing mobile market with 17.14 million mobile connections as of 2022, representing 52.5% of the population. The market is dominated by three major operators: Vodacom, Movitel, and TMcel (formerly MCEL). While OTT messaging apps are gaining popularity in urban areas, SMS remains a crucial communication channel due to its reliability and widespread accessibility, particularly in rural regions. Android devices dominate the mobile ecosystem due to their affordability and availability.
Key SMS Features and Capabilities in Mozambique
Mozambique supports basic SMS functionality with some limitations on two-way messaging and specific requirements for sender IDs, while offering support for concatenated messages and MMS conversion.
Two-way SMS Support
Two-way SMS is not supported in Mozambique through standard A2P channels. Businesses looking to implement two-way communication will need to explore alternative solutions or work with local aggregators.
Concatenated Messages (Segmented SMS)
Support: Yes, concatenation is supported for most sender ID types, though support may vary by carrier. Message length rules: Standard SMS length limits apply - 160 characters for GSM-7 encoding, 70 characters for UCS-2 encoding. Encoding considerations: Both GSM-7 and UCS-2 encodings are supported, with UCS-2 being particularly important for messages containing local language characters.
MMS Support
MMS messages are automatically converted to SMS with an embedded URL link. This ensures compatibility across all networks while still allowing rich media content to be shared through a web-based interface.
Recipient Phone Number Compatibility
Number Portability
Number portability is not available in Mozambique. This means mobile numbers remain tied to their original network operators, which can simplify message routing and delivery.
Sending SMS to Landlines
Sending SMS to landline numbers is not supported in Mozambique. Attempts to send messages to landline numbers will result in a failed delivery and an error response (400 error code 21614) from the API, with no charges applied to the sender's account.
Compliance and Regulatory Guidelines for SMS in Mozambique
SMS communications in Mozambique are regulated by the Mozambican National Communications Institute (INCM). While specific SMS marketing regulations are still evolving, businesses must adhere to general telecommunications guidelines and international best practices for messaging.
Consent and Opt-In
Explicit Consent Requirements:
Obtain clear, documented opt-in consent before sending any marketing messages
Maintain detailed records of when and how consent was obtained
Include clear terms and conditions during the opt-in process
Provide transparent information about message frequency and content type
HELP/STOP and Other Commands
All SMS campaigns must support standard opt-out keywords:
STOP, CANCEL, UNSUBSCRIBE (English)
PARAR, CANCELAR (Portuguese)
HELP/AJUDA commands must provide information about the service
Responses to these commands should be in both Portuguese and English
Process opt-out requests within 24 hours
Do Not Call / Do Not Disturb Registries
While Mozambique does not maintain an official Do Not Call registry, businesses should:
Maintain their own suppression lists
Honor opt-out requests immediately
Implement a system to track and manage unsubscribe requests
Regularly clean contact lists to remove opted-out numbers
Time Zone Sensitivity
Mozambique follows East Africa Time (EAT, UTC+2)
Recommended Sending Windows:
Business Days: 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM EAT
Weekends: 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM EAT
Avoid sending during major religious observances and national holidays
Phone Numbers Options and SMS Sender Types for in Mozambique
Alphanumeric Sender ID
Operator network capability: Supported with pre-registration requirements Registration requirements: Pre-registration required for Mozambique Movitel; no segregation between International and Domestic Traffic Sender ID preservation: Yes, preserved for pre-registered IDs Provisioning time: Approximately 2 weeks
Long Codes
Domestic vs. International:
Domestic long codes not supported
International long codes supported but with limitations
Sender ID preservation: No, international long codes may be overwritten Provisioning time: N/A Use cases: Not recommended for primary messaging; use pre-registered alphanumeric IDs instead
Short Codes
Support: Not currently supported in Mozambique Provisioning time: N/A Use cases: N/A
Restricted SMS Content, Industries, and Use Cases
Restricted Industries and Content:
Gambling and betting services
Adult content or services
Unauthorized financial services
Political messaging without proper authorization
Cryptocurrency promotions
Content Filtering
Known Carrier Filtering Rules:
Messages containing certain keywords may be blocked
URLs should be from approved domains
Avoid excessive punctuation and special characters
Best Practices to Avoid Filtering:
Use registered sender IDs
Maintain consistent sending patterns
Avoid URL shorteners where possible
Keep content clear and professional
Best Practices for Sending SMS in Mozambique
Messaging Strategy
Keep messages under 160 characters when possible
Include clear call-to-actions
Personalize messages with recipient's name when appropriate
Maintain consistent branding across campaigns
Sending Frequency and Timing
Limit to 2-3 messages per week per recipient
Respect local business hours
Consider Ramadan and other religious observances
Avoid sending during national holidays
Localization
Primary language: Portuguese
Consider including English for business communications
Use local date and time formats
Respect cultural sensitivities in content
Opt-Out Management
Process opt-outs within 24 hours
Maintain centralized opt-out database
Include opt-out instructions in messages
Regular audit of opt-out compliance
Testing and Monitoring
Test across all major networks (Vodacom, Movitel, TMcel)
Monitor delivery rates by carrier
Track engagement metrics
Regular testing of opt-out functionality
SMS API integrations for Mozambique
Twilio
Twilio provides a robust SMS API with specific support for Mozambique. Authentication uses your Account SID and Auth Token.
import*as twilio from'twilio';// Initialize Twilio clientconst client =newtwilio('YOUR_ACCOUNT_SID',// From Twilio Console'YOUR_AUTH_TOKEN'// From Twilio Console);// Function to send SMS to MozambiqueasyncfunctionsendSMSToMozambique( to:string, message:string, senderId:string){try{const response =await client.messages.create({ body: message, from: senderId,// Pre-registered alphanumeric sender ID to: to,// Format: +258XXXXXXXXX statusCallback:'https://your-callback-url.com/status'});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 Mozambique with REST API support.
import{ SinchClient }from'@sinch/sdk-core';// Initialize Sinch clientconst sinchClient =newSinchClient({ projectId:'YOUR_PROJECT_ID', keyId:'YOUR_KEY_ID', keySecret:'YOUR_KEY_SECRET'});// Function to send batch SMSasyncfunctionsendSinchSMS( recipients:string[], message:string, senderId:string){try{const response =await sinchClient.sms.batches.send({ sendSMSRequestBody:{ to: recipients,// Array of numbers in +258 format from: senderId,// Your registered sender ID body: message, delivery_report:'summary'}});console.log('Batch sent:', response.id);return response;}catch(error){console.error('Sinch SMS error:', error);throw error;}}
MessageBird
MessageBird provides reliable SMS delivery to Mozambique with detailed delivery reporting.