Publish a shortcode or longcode, point a webhook at your app, and you can hold a real conversation with anyone with a SIM — no app to download, no data needed. Inbound messages arrive in under a second.
Sozuri owns the shortcode peering with each carrier so your app only ever talks to one HTTP endpoint — whether the message is going out or coming in.
Sozuri provisions a dedicated 5–6 digit shortcode (or 14-digit longcode) on Safaricom, Airtel and Telkom. KYC takes 5–10 business days per carrier.
Drop your callback URL in the dashboard. Every inbound SMS arrives as JSON with number, shortcode, message and a unique messageId.
POST back to /v1/messaging with from set to your shortcode and the customer's number as to. The carrier stitches it into the same SMS thread on their phone.
Every customer reply lands on your callback URL as a clean JSON envelope. Idempotent on messageId — safe to retry, safe to replay.
network tag (safaricom / airtel / telkom)timestamp so out-of-order arrivals reorder safely// Customer texts BAL to your shortcode 22456
{
"project": "Jamii SACCO",
"channel": "interactive",
"type": "interactive",
"status": "success",
"network": "safaricom",
"shortcode": "22456",
"number": "+254712345678",
"message": "BAL",
"messageId": "INB-1A2B3C4D",
"timestamp": 1718260920
}5–6 digit numbers approved by Safaricom, Airtel and Telkom and assigned to your project alone. No shared inboxes, no keyword fights.
Customer hits "send" on their phone, your webhook fires under a second later. No polling, no batch jobs, no syncing.
Optional auth-key header so your endpoint can reject anything that didn't come from Sozuri. Configure per callback URL.
Replies go out from your shortcode, so the customer sees one continuous SMS thread — not a new conversation every reply.
Configure keyword rules in the dashboard — auto-reply, route to a different team, or hand off to an AI agent based on the message body.
Works on the 30%+ of Kenyan handsets that still aren't smartphones. SMS is the most inclusive channel you can build on.
Every "where's my order?", "what's my balance?" and "how do I pay?" is a webhook hit, not a phone-call. Combined with Sozuri AI Agents, the easy 70% never reaches your support team.
Per-message rates match Bulk SMS. Shortcode KYC + provisioning is quoted on demand — budget KSh 8,000 + VAT per network for sender ID where required.
Sozuri submits the application with each carrier (Safaricom, Airtel, Telkom) on your behalf. KYC and approval typically take 5–10 business days per network. Once assigned, the same shortcode is yours across all three.
Yes — 14-digit longcodes are available immediately and good for low-volume two-way use cases. The trade-off is brand recognition: customers remember 22456 better than +254 707 123 456.
A JSON POST with project, shortcode, number, message, messageId, network, type: interactive, status: success and a Unix timestamp. Same envelope shape as every other Sozuri callback.
Opt-out keyword routing is automatic for Sozuri-managed senders. You can also subscribe to opt-out events on your webhook and reflect them in your own contact database immediately.
SMS still has the highest open rate of any digital channel in Kenya. Pair it with a shortcode and you've got the inbox every customer already checks.