Africa Is Talking

Developer documentation at developers.africastalking.com covers all APIs with REST references, authentication guides, and code samples in multiple languages (Python, Node, PHP, Java, Go, Ruby, C#). Getting started guides are practical. Sandbox environment documentation is clear. Community support via Slack and developer forums. SDKs are provided for major languages. Documentation quality is good for the primary APIs; edge cases in specific country markets are less documented. Postman collections are available.

Africa's Talking is the leading API platform for reaching mobile users across Africa, providing SMS, USSD, voice, airtime, and mobile money APIs for 20+ African markets. For agents building services with African market reach, this is a critical integration point — it abstracts the complexity of integrating with dozens of local mobile network operators. SMS sending and USSD session management are the most agent-relevant APIs. A sandbox environment is available for testing without real-money transactions. Coverage spans Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Uganda, Tanzania, and more. Confidence is docs-derived; network reliability across specific markets is not runtime-verified.

Authentication uses API key + username as POST parameters or headers (for REST requests). The API key is generated per application in the Africa's Talking dashboard. Sandbox and production use separate API keys and hostnames. Airtime and payment APIs have additional security controls (IP allowlisting recommended for payment endpoints). The username identifies the Africa's Talking account; the API key grants access to all product APIs for that account. Standard key model appropriate for agent use.

Africa's Talking provides REST APIs organized by product: SMS (send, premium, bulk), USSD (session callbacks), Voice (call control, text-to-speech), Airtime (send airtime), Payments (mobile money, bank, card). SMS API: POST /version1/messaging with from, to, message parameters. USSD is callback-based (Africa's Talking calls your webhook per session interaction). Voice uses a scripting XML format. Payments API: POST /mobile/b2c/request for business-to-consumer disbursements. Authentication via API key + username in POST body or headers. Consistent REST/form-encoded pattern across products.

SMS API returns a JSON response with status codes per recipient: Success, InvalidPhoneNumber, InsufficientCredit, UserInBlacklist, etc. HTTP 201 for successful submission, 400 for malformed requests. Payment APIs return transaction status with request ID for polling. USSD is callback-based — your endpoint must respond with CON (continue session) or END (close session) format within 5 seconds. Network delivery latency varies by carrier and market. The API is designed for eventual delivery, not real-time confirmation. Delivery reports are webhook-based.