"getting-started"
"How to Connect Africa's Talking SMS to On-Chat"
"Connect Africa's Talking SMS to On-Chat and manage SMS conversations from African customers in a shared team inbox."
Introduction
Africa's Talking is the leading communications platform for African markets, providing SMS, USSD, voice, airtime, and payment APIs across Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and more. Connecting Africa's Talking to On-Chat allows businesses to manage customer SMS conversations from African markets in a centralized inbox.
SEO Keywords: Africa's Talking SMS integration, Africa SMS helpdesk, Kenya SMS support, Nigeria SMS customer service, Africa's Talking On-Chat, African SMS gateway
Prerequisites
- An active Africa's Talking account with a registered application
- Africa's Talking API Key and Username
- On-Chat account with admin access
- A short code or alphanumeric sender ID registered with Africa's Talking
- Webhook configuration access
Step 1: Access Africa's Talking Credentials
Log in to account.africastalking.com and navigate to your application. Go to Settings → API Key to find your API key. Note your application Username as well. These credentials are required for the On-Chat SMS inbox configuration.
Step 2: Register a Short Code or Sender ID
In Africa's Talking, go to SMS → Short Codes or Sender IDs and register a sender identity for your business. Short codes are for two-way SMS, while alphanumeric sender IDs are one-way. For On-Chat integration, a short code or virtual number is recommended.
Step 3: Create an SMS Inbox in On-Chat
In On-Chat, navigate to Settings → Inboxes → New Inbox and select SMS. Choose Africa's Talking as the provider. Enter your API Key, Username, and registered short code or sender ID. Save to generate the webhook URL.
Step 4: Configure Incoming Message Callback
In Africa's Talking, go to SMS → Incoming Messages and set the callback URL to your On-Chat webhook endpoint. Set the method to POST. This routes all inbound SMS messages to your On-Chat inbox in real time.
Step 5: Assign Agents to Your SMS Inbox
In On-Chat, go to Settings → Inboxes → select your Africa's Talking inbox → Collaborators. Add the agents who will handle SMS conversations from your African markets. Configure routing rules for different countries.
Step 6: Send and Receive Test SMS
Send a test SMS to your registered short code from an African mobile number. Confirm the message appears in your On-Chat inbox. Reply from On-Chat and verify the SMS is delivered back to the mobile number.
Best Practices
- Support multiple African languages in your On-Chat SMS canned responses
- Use Africa's Talking USSD for interactive menu-driven support where SMS costs are high
- Monitor delivery rates per country as coverage varies across African networks
- Take advantage of Africa's Talking's sandbox environment for testing before going live