OTPs and security alerts
SMS. It has to arrive on every phone in seconds, with no app and no opt-in. WhatsApp as a second route for customers who have it.
02 · Engage › Customer messaging
Three channels, one backend: smartphone or not.
WhatsApp for the smartphone. USSD for the phone with no data. SMS for the message that has to arrive. We build all three on one backend, so a customer is one record whichever way they reach you, and we tell you honestly which channel each job needs.
Messaging at a glance
- OpenedWhere the conversation happens when there is data, and where a message actually gets read.
- 0 MBUSSD needs no data, no app and no smartphone. A *120# code works on every handset in the country.
- 160characters in an SMS, delivered to any phone within seconds, with a report that says it arrived.
- 1 backendOne set of rules, balances and records behind all three channels, and one dashboard to watch them.
Compare the channels
Three channels, honestly compared.
Nobody needs all three for everything. This is how we decide which to use for what.
| USSD | SMS | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Reach | Smartphones with data and the app installed. Most of the market, not all of it. | Every GSM phone, no data, no app. | Every phone, no data, no app. |
| Data needed | Yes. A customer with no bundle cannot reply. | None. Rides on the voice network. | None. |
| What it can show | Text, images, documents, buttons, lists, catalogues, payments. | Text only, 182 characters per screen, numbered options. | Text only, 160 characters, 70 if you use emoji or special characters. |
| Conversation style | Two-way, asynchronous. The thread stays open. | Live session, menu-driven, times out in minutes. No memory between sessions unless you build it. | One-way by default. Two-way needs a short code or long number and a keyword flow. |
| Who starts it | Customer, or the business with an approved template inside the rules. | Always the customer, by dialling. | Either. The business can send at any time, within WASPA and POPIA rules. |
| Consent rules | Opt-in required for business-initiated messages. Templates approved by Meta. 24-hour service window. | Dialling is the consent. Billing choice: customer pays or reverse-billed. | Marketing needs opt-in and a STOP route under the WASPA code and POPIA. Transactional messages do not. |
| Cost model | Per conversation, by category, charged by Meta, plus the platform. | Per session, to the customer or reverse-billed to you, plus the short code. | Per message segment. Emoji and long messages multiply it. |
| Best for | Support, catalogues, bookings, competitions with photos, rich follow-ups. | Competitions, balances, self-service, voting and lead capture for the mass market. | OTPs, confirmations, delivery updates, reminders, alerts and the fallback when the others cannot reach. |
We will say which of the three you actually need. Often it is two, rarely all three.
Ask us which channelPick by the job
The channel follows the task.
Six jobs we are asked for most, and the channel mix we recommend for each.
Support, catalogues and bookings
WhatsApp. Rich, two-way and already open on the customer’s phone. A chatbot for the repetitive questions, a human for the rest.
Competitions and promotions
USSD and WhatsApp together. The code under the cap works on any phone by USSD; WhatsApp takes the till-slip photo. One rules engine, one winners list.
Reminders and collections
SMS, with a WhatsApp template when opted in. Appointments, payments due and renewals, timed and tracked, with a reply route for rescheduling.
Balances and self-service
USSD first. Points, account balances, meter readings and fault reports for the whole market, with WhatsApp for the customers who want more than text.
Broadcasts and re-engagement
WhatsApp to the opted-in list, SMS as the fallback. Offers, stock alerts and win-back messages within the rules of each channel.
Most businesses need two of the three. Tell us who you need to reach and we will tell you which.
Talk to us about channelsHow we work
Four steps to one platform.
The channels are launched in the order that gets you reach fastest, usually SMS and USSD first, then WhatsApp once Meta’s approvals clear.
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Map the journeys
Every message a customer should get or send, from OTP to winner notification, and which channel each one belongs on. Written down and agreed.
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Set up the platforms
Meta business verification and templates, a USSD short code through an aggregator, an SMS gateway with sender IDs and a short code for replies.
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Build on one backend
One rules engine, one customer record, one set of integrations to your CRM, rewards and payments. The channels are front doors to the same house.
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Run and report
One dashboard for all three channels: delivery, drop-off, conversations, entries and cost. Tuned weekly while the campaign runs.
Compliance in one place
Each channel has its own rulebook. We build inside all of them so your numbers, codes and sender IDs stay live.
- Meta’s rules for WhatsApp. Opt-in for business-initiated messages, approved templates, the 24-hour service window and quality ratings that we protect.
- The WASPA code for SMS. Sender identification, a working STOP route, sending-hour restrictions on marketing and no unsolicited commercial messages.
- USSD billing. Standard-rated to the customer or reverse-billed to you, declared on the opening screen.
- POPIA across all three. Consent recorded, minimum data, clear purpose, retention limits and a way to opt out on every channel.
- Separate routes for separate jobs. OTPs never share a route with marketing, so a campaign cannot delay a login code.
- Records you can produce. Every message, consent and opt-out logged, for your auditors and for a complaint.
What you get
From the strategy to the dashboard.
The channel choice, the platforms, the build and the running of it, from one team.
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Channel strategy
Which messages go where, what each will cost, and what to launch first. Written before anything is built.
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WhatsApp Business Platform
Verification, templates, chatbot, AI validation, human handover. WhatsApp automation →
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USSD services
Short code, aggregator connection across all four networks, menu design, integration. USSD services →
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SMS and notifications
Gateway, sender IDs, transactional API, two-way short code, campaign tool with opt-outs. SMS & notifications →
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One backend and integrations
Rules engine, customer records and hooks into your CRM, rewards, payments and operations systems.
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Unified dashboard
Delivery, conversations, entries, rewards and cost across all three channels, live.
One backend, one customer record. Whichever way they reach you.
Get a quoteWork you can look at
Messaging in production, and tools to try.
Questions we get asked
Before you pick a channel.
Do we need all three?
Rarely at the start. Most clients begin with the channel that reaches their customers fastest and add the next when a job needs it. The point of one backend is that adding a channel later is a front-door change, not a rebuild.
Which should we start with?
If your customers are mass market, USSD or SMS, because they reach everyone with no data. If they are smartphone-first and you want a conversation, WhatsApp. If the message is an OTP or a confirmation, SMS. We will tell you which on the first call.
Can we keep our existing SMS provider or WhatsApp number?
Usually, yes. We connect to the gateway you already have where it makes sense and move you only if it is costing you reach or money.
Who owns the numbers, codes and sender IDs?
You do. WhatsApp numbers, USSD codes and sender IDs are registered to your business. If you ever leave us, they go with you.
What does it cost?
Each channel has its own per-message or per-session cost from the network or Meta, plus our build and support. We model the monthly cost on your volumes before you commit, and we design flows to keep it down, for example short USSD sessions and single-segment SMS.
How do the channels share data?
One customer record keyed on the phone number. A customer who enters by USSD, gets a confirmation by SMS and asks a question on WhatsApp is one person in your reporting, with one consent history.
What runs on messaging
The channel is the road. Loyalty is the reason to travel.
Points, competitions, spin-to-win and branded games all run over these channels. The mechanic gives customers a reason to message; the channels make sure they can.
Ready when you are
Tell us who you need to reach.
Describe your customers and the messages they should get. We will come back with a channel plan, a cost model and what to launch first, plus what it takes to keep the channels live, compliant and tuned once they are running.
Running at FMCG scale for Tiger Brands. See who we work with.