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Republic Of The Congo SMS Best Practices, Compliance, and Features
Republic Of The Congo SMS Market Overview
Locale name:
Republic Of The Congo
ISO code:
CG
Region
Middle East & Africa
Mobile country code (MCC)
629
Dialing Code
+242
Market Conditions: The Republic of the Congo has a growing mobile market dominated by major operators including MTN Congo and Airtel Congo. SMS remains a crucial communication channel, particularly for business messaging and notifications. While OTT messaging apps are gaining popularity in urban areas, SMS maintains its importance due to its reliability and universal reach across both feature phones and smartphones. The market predominantly uses Android devices, with iOS having a smaller market share.
Key SMS Features and Capabilities in Republic of the Congo
The Republic of the Congo supports basic SMS functionality with some limitations on advanced features, focusing primarily on one-way messaging capabilities.
Two-way SMS Support
Two-way SMS is not supported in the Republic of the Congo through standard A2P channels. Businesses should design their messaging strategies around one-way communication flows.
Concatenated Messages (Segmented SMS)
Support: Yes, concatenated messages are supported, though availability may vary by sender ID type. 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 recommended for messages containing special characters or non-Latin alphabets.
MMS Support
MMS messages are not directly supported in the Republic of the Congo. When attempting to send MMS, the message will be automatically converted to SMS with an embedded URL link where recipients can view the media content. This ensures message delivery while providing access to multimedia content through web links.
Recipient Phone Number Compatibility
Number Portability
Number portability is not available in the Republic of the Congo. 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 possible in the Republic of the Congo. Attempts to send messages to landline numbers will result in delivery failure, with APIs typically returning a 400 response with error code 21614. These messages will not appear in logs and accounts will not be charged.
Compliance and Regulatory Guidelines for SMS in Republic Of The Congo
The Republic of the Congo's telecommunications sector is regulated by the Agence de Régulation des Postes et des Communications Électroniques (ARPCE). While specific SMS marketing regulations are still evolving, businesses must follow general telecommunications guidelines and international best practices for messaging.
Consent and Opt-In
Explicit Consent Requirements:
Obtain clear, documented consent before sending marketing messages
Maintain records of how and when consent was obtained
Clearly communicate the type and frequency of messages recipients will receive
Provide transparent information about the sending organization
HELP/STOP and Other Commands
All SMS campaigns must support standard opt-out keywords:
STOP, ARRET, ARRÊT (French)
HELP, AIDE (French)
Messages should be processed in both French and English
Confirmation messages must be sent when users opt out
Response times for HELP/STOP commands should be immediate
Do Not Call / Do Not Disturb Registries
While the Republic of the Congo does not maintain an official Do Not Call registry, businesses should:
Maintain their own suppression lists
Honor opt-out requests within 24 hours
Implement proper database management to track opted-out numbers
Regularly clean contact lists to remove inactive or opted-out numbers
Time Zone Sensitivity
The Republic of the Congo observes UTC+1 time zone. Best practices include:
Sending messages between 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM local time
Avoiding messages during religious holidays and Sundays
Limiting urgent messages outside business hours to genuine emergencies
Phone Numbers Options and SMS Sender Types for in Republic Of The Congo
Alphanumeric Sender ID
Operator network capability: Supported with restrictions Registration requirements: Pre-registration required, takes approximately 3 weeks Sender ID preservation: Yes for registered IDs, but may be overwritten on certain networks
Long Codes
Domestic vs. International:
Domestic long codes not supported
International long codes supported with limitations
Sender ID preservation: No, international numbers may be overwritten
Provisioning time: N/A
Use cases: Not recommended for primary messaging strategy
Short Codes
Support: Not currently supported in the Republic of the Congo
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 campaign messages without proper authorization
Pharmaceutical promotions without proper licensing
Content Filtering
Known Carrier Filtering Rules:
Messages containing certain keywords may be blocked
URLs may be filtered or blocked on some networks
High-frequency messaging patterns may trigger spam filters
Best Practices to Avoid Filtering:
Avoid URL shorteners
Use clear, professional language
Maintain consistent sending patterns
Include clear sender identification
Avoid excessive punctuation and all-caps text
Best Practices for Sending SMS in Republic Of The Congo
Messaging Strategy
Keep messages under 160 characters when possible
Include clear call-to-actions
Maintain consistent branding
Use personalization thoughtfully
Sending Frequency and Timing
Limit to 2-3 messages per week per recipient
Respect local holidays and customs
Schedule campaigns during business hours
Space out bulk sends to avoid network congestion
Localization
Primary language: French
Consider including both French and English for international businesses
Use proper character encoding for special characters
Respect local cultural sensitivities
Opt-Out Management
Process opt-outs within 24 hours
Send confirmation of opt-out receipt
Maintain accurate opt-out databases
Regular audit of opt-out lists
Testing and Monitoring
Test messages across all major carriers (MTN, Airtel)
Monitor delivery rates by carrier
Track engagement metrics
Regular testing of opt-out functionality
Monitor for carrier filtering patterns
SMS API integrations for Republic Of The Congo
Twilio
Twilio provides a robust SMS API for sending messages to the Republic of the Congo. Here's how to implement it:
import*as Twilio from'twilio';// Initialize Twilio client with your credentialsconst client =newTwilio( process.env.TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID, process.env.TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN);// Function to send SMS to Republic of the CongoasyncfunctionsendSMSToCongo( to:string, message:string, senderId:string):Promise<void>{try{// Ensure proper formatting for Congo numbers (+242)const formattedNumber = to.startsWith('+242')? to :`+242${to}`;const response =await client.messages.create({ body: message, from: senderId,// Registered alphanumeric sender ID to: formattedNumber,// Optional parameters for delivery tracking statusCallback:'https://your-webhook-url.com/status'});console.log(`Message sent successfully! SID: ${response.sid}`);}catch(error){console.error('Error sending message:', error);throw error;}}
Sinch
Sinch offers comprehensive SMS capabilities for the Republic of the Congo market:
import{ SinchClient }from'@sinch/sdk';// Initialize Sinch clientconst sinchClient =newSinchClient({ servicePlanId: process.env.SINCH_SERVICE_PLAN_ID, apiToken: process.env.SINCH_API_TOKEN});// Function to send SMS using SinchasyncfunctionsendSMSWithSinch( recipientNumber:string, messageText:string):Promise<void>{try{const response =await sinchClient.messages.send({ from:'YOUR_SENDER_ID',// Registered sender ID to:[recipientNumber], body: messageText,// Optional delivery report URL deliveryReport:'URL'});console.log('Message sent successfully:', response.id);}catch(error){console.error('Failed to send message:', error);throw error;}}
MessageBird
MessageBird provides a straightforward API for sending SMS to the Congo:
import messagebird from'messagebird';// Initialize MessageBird clientconst messageBirdClient =messagebird(process.env.MESSAGEBIRD_API_KEY);// Function to send SMS via MessageBirdfunctionsendSMSViaMessageBird( recipient:string, message:string):Promise<void>{returnnewPromise((resolve, reject)=>{ messageBirdClient.messages.create({ originator:'YOUR_SENDER_ID', recipients:[recipient], body: message,// Optional parameters reference:'your-reference', reportUrl:'your-webhook-url'},(err, response)=>{if(err){reject(err);return;}resolve(response);});});}
Plivo
Plivo's API implementation for Congo SMS messaging:
import plivo from'plivo';// Initialize Plivo clientconst plivoClient =newplivo.Client( process.env.PLIVO_AUTH_ID, process.env.PLIVO_AUTH_TOKEN);// Function to send SMS using PlivoasyncfunctionsendSMSWithPlivo( to:string, message:string):Promise<void>{try{const response =await plivoClient.messages.create({ src:'YOUR_SENDER_ID',// Registered sender ID dst: to, text: message,// Optional parameters url:'your-status-url', method:'POST'});console.log('Message sent successfully:', response);}catch(error){console.error('Error sending message:', error);throw error;}}
API Rate Limits and Throughput
Default rate limit: 30 messages per second
Batch sending limit: 500 recipients per request
Daily sending quotas may apply based on account type
Strategies for Large-Scale Sending:
Implement queuing system for high-volume campaigns