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Seychelles SMS Best Practices, Compliance, and Features
Seychelles SMS Market Overview
Locale name:
Seychelles
ISO code:
SC
Region
Middle East & Africa
Mobile country code (MCC)
633
Dialing Code
+248
Market Conditions: Seychelles has a growing mobile telecommunications market with increasing SMS usage for both personal and business communications. The market is primarily served by major operators like Airtel, which maintains a significant presence in the region. While OTT messaging apps are gaining popularity, SMS remains a reliable communication channel, particularly for business-to-consumer communications and critical notifications due to its universal reach and reliability.
Key SMS Features and Capabilities in Seychelles
Seychelles 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 Seychelles according to current platform capabilities. This means businesses can send outbound messages, but cannot receive replies through the same channel.
Concatenated Messages (Segmented SMS)
Support: Concatenated messaging is not supported in Seychelles. Message length rules: Standard SMS length limits apply. Encoding considerations: Messages should be kept within single SMS length limits to ensure reliable delivery.
MMS Support
MMS messages are not directly supported in Seychelles. Instead, MMS content is automatically converted to SMS with an embedded URL link where recipients can view the multimedia content. This ensures that rich media can still be shared while maintaining compatibility with local network capabilities.
Recipient Phone Number Compatibility
Number Portability
Number portability is not available in Seychelles. This means mobile numbers remain tied to their original carrier, which can simplify message routing and delivery.
Sending SMS to Landlines
Sending SMS to landline numbers is not possible in Seychelles. Attempts to send messages to landline numbers will result in a 400 response with error code 21614. These messages will not appear in logs, and accounts will not be charged for failed attempts.
Compliance and Regulatory Guidelines for SMS in Seychelles
The Seychelles Communications Regulatory Authority, established under the Communications Act 2023, oversees electronic communications services including SMS messaging. While specific SMS regulations are evolving, businesses must adhere to general telecommunications guidelines and international best practices.
Consent and Opt-In
Explicit Consent Requirements:
Obtain clear, documented opt-in consent before sending marketing messages
Maintain detailed records of when and how consent was obtained
Include clear terms of service and privacy policy references
Specify the types of messages users will receive and approximate frequency
HELP/STOP and Other Commands
All SMS campaigns must support standard STOP and HELP commands
Messages should be in English or French (official languages of Seychelles)
Include opt-out instructions in the first message of any new campaign
Process STOP requests immediately and send confirmation message
Do Not Call / Do Not Disturb Registries
While Seychelles does not maintain an official Do Not Call registry, businesses should:
Maintain their own suppression lists
Honor opt-out requests immediately
Keep records of opted-out numbers
Regularly clean contact lists to remove unsubscribed numbers
Time Zone Sensitivity
Seychelles follows SCT (Seychelles Time, UTC+4)
Recommended Sending Windows:
Business messages: 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM SCT
Urgent notifications: 24/7 permitted if essential
Marketing messages: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM SCT on business days
Phone Numbers Options and SMS Sender Types for Seychelles
Alphanumeric Sender ID
Operator network capability: Supported Registration requirements: Dynamic usage allowed without pre-registration Sender ID preservation: May be overwritten on Airtel network with generic alphanumeric ID
Long Codes
Domestic vs. International:
Domestic long codes: Supported by operators but not currently available through major platforms
International long codes: Limited support
Sender ID preservation: Variable depending on carrier Provisioning time: N/A for domestic, varies for international Use cases: Transactional messaging, alerts, notifications
Short Codes
Support: Available through local carriers Provisioning time: Not currently supported through major platforms Use cases: High-volume messaging, marketing campaigns, 2FA
Restricted SMS Content, Industries, and Use Cases
Restricted Industries and Content:
Gambling and betting services
Adult content or services
Cryptocurrency promotions
Unauthorized financial services
Political messaging without proper authorization
Content Filtering
Known Carrier Rules:
URLs may trigger spam filters
Multiple exclamation marks often flagged
All-caps messages may be blocked
Best Practices to Avoid Filtering:
Use clear, professional language
Avoid excessive punctuation
Include company name in sender ID
Limit URL usage in messages
Best Practices for Sending SMS in Seychelles
Messaging Strategy
Keep messages under 160 characters when possible
Include clear call-to-action
Use personalization tokens thoughtfully
Maintain consistent sender ID
Sending Frequency and Timing
Limit marketing messages to 2-4 per month per recipient
Respect local holidays and weekends
Avoid sending during major cultural or religious events
Space out messages to prevent recipient fatigue
Localization
Primary languages: English and French
Consider Seychellois Creole for specific campaigns
Use appropriate date formats (DD/MM/YYYY)
Account for local cultural nuances
Opt-Out Management
Process opt-outs within 24 hours
Maintain centralized opt-out database
Send opt-out confirmation message
Regular audit of opt-out compliance
Testing and Monitoring
Test across major local carriers
Monitor delivery rates by carrier
Track engagement metrics
Regular A/B testing of message content
Document and analyze failure patterns
SMS API integrations for Seychelles
Twilio
Twilio provides a robust SMS API for sending messages to Seychelles. 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 SeychellesasyncfunctionsendSMSToSeychelles( to:string, message:string, senderId:string){try{// Ensure phone number is in E.164 format for Seychelles (+248)const formattedNumber = to.startsWith('+248')? to :`+248${to}`;const response =await client.messages.create({ body: message, from: senderId,// Your approved sender ID to: formattedNumber,});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 Seychelles through their REST API: