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Bulk SMS in Madagascar: ARTEC, Sender ID and Consent Guide

Bulk SMS Madagascar guide: ARTEC, sender ID with Yas, Orange and Airtel, personal data law consent, mobile money OTPs, and French and Malagasy text length.

Updated 10 min read

By OmniChannels.ai Editorial Team · Reviewed by BroadNet Messaging Solutions Team

SMS & OTP

Short answer

To send bulk SMS in Madagascar, use a provider with routes to Yas (formerly Telma), Orange and Airtel, set up an alphanumeric sender ID (up to 11 characters) through the operators, and send marketing only to people who gave documented consent. Keep OTPs and payment alerts separate from promotions, include opt-out wording, and plan around a longer lead time of 10 to 14 business days. French accents can force Unicode and cut messages to 70 characters.

On this page
  1. What rules apply to bulk SMS in Madagascar?
  2. What does the personal data law require before you send?
  3. How does sender ID registration work in Madagascar?
  4. Which operators carry SMS in Madagascar?
  5. How should you separate OTP and promotional traffic?
  6. How do French and Malagasy affect SMS length?
  7. When should you send?
  8. A worked example: an Antananarivo supermarket
  9. Should you add WhatsApp alongside SMS in Madagascar?
  10. Launch checklist for Madagascar
  11. What are the common mistakes?
  12. How OmniChannels.ai helps

Key takeaways

  • ARTEC is the telecom regulator in our data; sender IDs are set up through the operators, with alphanumeric IDs of up to 11 characters and a typical lead time of 10 to 14 business days, longer than in many markets.
  • Madagascar has a personal data law, Loi n° 2014-038; sources differ on how far its supervisory authority is operating, so keep your own consent records and check current guidance.
  • Our regulation data calls for verifiable opt-in, timestamped consent records kept for at least 12 months and produced on regulator request, and opt-out wording in every promotion.
  • Our coverage data lists three mobile networks, all with direct routes: Yas Madagascar (646-01), Orange Madagascar (646-02) and Airtel Madagascar (646-04). Yas is the former Telma brand.
  • Malagasy and unaccented French fit the GSM 7-bit alphabet (160 characters, 153 per part); letters such as ê, ô, ç or emoji force Unicode at 70 (67).

This guide is for banks, mobile money partners, retailers and NGOs that want to send business SMS to mobile numbers in Madagascar: OTPs, payment alerts, appointment reminders and promotions. It explains who regulates what, how sender IDs work, what the personal data law means for consent, and how French and Malagasy text affect message length. It is a practical overview, not legal advice; confirm requirements with Malagasy counsel and the operators before launch.

What rules apply to bulk SMS in Madagascar?

Three layers apply: the telecom regulator and operator policy, the personal data law, and your own consent records. None is a single "bulk SMS law".

Layer What it covers Where to check
ARTEC and the operators (Yas, Orange, Airtel) Telecom regulation, sender ID set-up, routes, filtering artec.mg
Loi n° 2014-038 Protection of personal data National Assembly text, DLA Piper
Your consent records Proof of when, how and for what each number agreed Your own system

Our regulation data lists ARTEC (Autorité de Régulation des Technologies de Communication) as the regulator and records that sender ID requirements are set by the operators, so the rule that matters on launch day is the one your operator route enforces.

What does the personal data law require before you send?

You need a lawful basis for processing each number, and for marketing the safe basis is documented consent. Loi n° 2014-038 is Madagascar's law on the protection of personal data; its French text is published by the National Assembly. Sources we found disagree on how far its supervisory authority, the CMIL, is operating, so do not assume a lighter regime: build your consent trail as if it will be asked for.

Our regulation data sets the operating rules: opt-in must be verifiable, consent records are kept for at least 12 months and produced on regulator request, and every promotion carries opt-out wording. A routine that satisfies this:

  1. Capture consent with a record: the exact wording shown, the date and time, the channel and the number.
  2. Say who is sending and why at sign-up, for example "Offres de Tana Market par SMS".
  3. Keep marketing consent separate from account opening or terms of sale.
  4. Honour opt-outs immediately and keep the suppression list across campaigns and channels.
  5. Do not buy lists. Purchased numbers have no consent trail.

For wording, our opt-in consent generator drafts a consent text, and the guide to opt-in consent across channels shows how to record it.

How does sender ID registration work in Madagascar?

Business SMS to Madagascar uses an alphanumeric sender ID of up to 11 characters, which shows your brand instead of a number. Our regulation data lists numeric long codes as available on select networks and says requirements are set by the operators and confirmed at onboarding. Our published lead time is 10 to 14 business days, longer than in many markets, so start early. Treat it as typical, not guaranteed.

Step What to do
1. Classify Decide which traffic is transactional (OTP, alerts) and which is promotional, and plan one sender ID for each
2. Choose names Use your registered business or brand name; avoid generic names and names that imitate banks, mobile money services or operators
3. Prepare documents Business registration papers and an authorisation letter naming the sender IDs and your provider
4. Submit Your provider files with the operators; track each approval
5. Test Send an OTP and a promotion to Yas, Orange and Airtel handsets

Our sender ID letter generator drafts the authorisation letter, and you can check the current position with the sender ID checker or the Madagascar sender ID page. If you want us to prepare and file the registration with you, see registrations; approval decisions stay with the operators and regulators. Background on formats is in our guide to sender ID types.

Which operators carry SMS in Madagascar?

Three mobile networks appear in our coverage data, each with a direct route:

Operator MCC-MNC
Yas Madagascar (formerly Telma) 646-01
Orange Madagascar 646-02
Airtel Madagascar 646-04

Our regulation data names only Yas and Orange in its sender ID line; the coverage data adds Airtel, and we test all three. Read delivery reports per operator, not a blended rate, and use our guide to improving SMS delivery rates to diagnose problems.

How should you separate OTP and promotional traffic?

Keep OTPs, payment confirmations and other service messages on a transactional sender ID and route, and promotions on their own. Mobile money and banking apps depend on login and payment codes, so a promotion inside an OTP puts those codes at risk if the route is filtered.

Traffic Example Practice
Transactional OTP, payment confirmation, delivery alert No promotion inside; own sender ID; any hour
Promotional Sale, new product, loyalty offer Consented numbers only; opt-out in the message; daytime schedule
Mixed "Votre colis est parti. -10% sur votre prochaine commande" Avoid; the offer makes it promotional

For OTP content and security, read our OTP authentication messages guide and the OTP glossary entry.

How do French and Malagasy affect SMS length?

Plain Malagasy and French without special letters fit the default GSM 7-bit alphabet, so one message holds 160 characters (153 per part when split). The alphabet includes é, è, ù and à, but not lowercase ê, â, î, ô, û or ç, so one of those letters switches the whole message to Unicode with 70 characters (67 per part). See GSM-7 and concatenated SMS for definitions.

Encoding Single message Per part when concatenated
GSM 7-bit 160 characters 153
Unicode (UCS-2) 70 characters 67

These examples were counted against the limits. The Malagasy line is illustrative; have a native speaker review production copy.

Message Encoding Characters Parts
Votre code est 482913. Ne le partagez avec personne. Tana Market GSM-7 64 1
Ny kaodinao dia 482913. Aza zarainao amin'olona. Tana Market GSM-7 60 1
Tana Market: votre commande #1042 est prete. Retrait en magasin avant 18h. Aide: 034 00 000 00 GSM-7 94 1
Tana Market: -10% sur le riz et l'huile ce samedi. Details: tanamarket.example/s. Stop: tanamarket.example/stop GSM-7 111 1
Tana Market: -10% sur le riz et l'huile ce samedi ! Détails : tanamarket.example/s. Arrêt : tanamarket.example/stop 🎉 Unicode 117 2

The last row shows the cost of the ê and one emoji: the same offer jumps from one part to two. Check final copy in the SMS character counter. For other scripts see SMS character limits and Unicode.

When should you send?

We have not found a regulator-published time-of-day window for promotional SMS in Madagascar, and our regulation data records none. Agree sending hours with your provider and the operators, send promotions in local daytime (East Africa Time, UTC+3) and avoid late evenings. OTPs and alerts can go at any hour. The send time planner helps schedule campaigns, and our SMS marketing rules by country article compares hours across markets.

A worked example: an Antananarivo supermarket

"Tana Market" (synthetic) has six stores and wants OTPs for its loyalty app, order alerts and a weekly offer.

  • It starts sender ID registration at least three weeks before launch, given the 10 to 14 business day lead time, and registers one transactional and one promotional ID.
  • It collects marketing consent at the till and in the app, storing the wording shown, timestamp and number.
  • OTPs and order alerts use plain French or Malagasy at 160 characters or fewer, checked for ô, ê and ç.
  • The weekly offer is checked against the suppression list, scheduled for local daytime and sent with opt-out wording and no emoji.
  • Opt-outs feed one suppression list that also covers WhatsApp and email.

Should you add WhatsApp alongside SMS in Madagascar?

Use SMS for reach and urgent codes, and add WhatsApp where customers already chat with you and have opted in. SMS works on every handset without data, while WhatsApp messages sent outside the 24-hour customer service window must use a Meta-approved template in the marketing, utility or authentication category. Keep one consent record per channel and one shared suppression list. Our guide to sending WhatsApp marketing messages explains the requirements, and the WhatsApp Business API page shows what we support.

Launch checklist for Madagascar

  1. Write down which messages are transactional and which are promotional, and give each its own sender ID.
  2. Start sender ID registration early; our published lead time is 10 to 14 business days and approval stays with the operators.
  3. Build the sign-up flow that records wording, timestamp, channel and number, and test that an opt-out reaches the suppression list.
  4. Prepare final copy in each language, count it in the SMS character counter and keep OTPs inside one part.
  5. Send test messages to every network (Yas, Orange and Airtel) and compare delivery reports per operator.
  6. Schedule promotions for local daytime and keep OTPs and alerts on the transactional route.
  7. Review delivery, opt-out and complaint rates after the first campaign before you scale.

What are the common mistakes?

  • Starting registration late. With 10 to 14 business days typical, a launch date set before filing is a risk.
  • No consent evidence. Without a timestamp and source you cannot answer a regulator request.
  • Using the old Telma name only. Customers and operator contacts may now say Yas.
  • One accent or emoji in every message. It turns a 160-character message into a 70-character one.
  • Mixing OTP and promotion on one sender ID.
  • Generic sender names. A distinct brand name is easier to approve and for customers to trust.

How OmniChannels.ai helps

OmniChannels.ai is powered by BroadNet, which has direct routes to Yas, Orange and Airtel in Madagascar in our coverage data. We prepare and file sender ID registration with you, support French and Malagasy content, and give you per-operator delivery reports, with SMPP 3.4 for high volume. For indicative list prices, see the Madagascar SMS pricing page, then book a demo.

Frequently asked questions

Is bulk SMS legal in Madagascar?

Yes, businesses send OTPs, payment alerts and marketing by SMS through licensed operators. There is no single statute called a bulk SMS law, so rules come from the regulator, operator policy and the personal data law. Use a registered sender ID, send marketing only to people who agreed and keep records you can produce on request.

Do I need to register a sender ID in Madagascar?

Plan on it. Our regulation data says sender IDs are set up through the operators, with BroadNet confirming current requirements during onboarding and a typical lead time of 10 to 14 business days. Requirements and timing are not guaranteed, so test delivery on every network before a launch.

Is Telma the same as Yas in Madagascar?

Yes. The operator formerly known as Telma now appears as Yas Madagascar in our coverage data, with network code 646-01. Older guides and some customers still use the Telma name, so write 'Yas (formerly Telma)' where your audience may not know the change.

Does Madagascar have a data protection law that affects SMS?

Yes, Loi n° 2014-038 on the protection of personal data, whose French text is published by the National Assembly. A phone number tied to a person is personal data, so treat documented consent as the basis for marketing. Sources differ on how far the supervisory authority is operating, so confirm current practice with local counsel.

Does Malagasy or French text use GSM-7 or Unicode?

Malagasy in plain Latin letters and French without ê, ô, ç or similar letters fits the GSM 7-bit alphabet, so one message holds 160 characters. The alphabet does include é, è, ù and à. One letter outside it, or an emoji, switches the whole message to Unicode, which holds only 70.

Can I use SMS for mobile money OTPs in Madagascar?

Yes. Mobile money and banking apps commonly confirm logins and payments by SMS code. Send these on a transactional sender ID, keep the text short and free of promotion, and give the code an expiry. Test delivery on every operator, since a code that arrives late is a failed login.

Sources

  1. Autorité de Régulation des Technologies de Communication (ARTEC)
  2. Loi n° 2014-038 sur la protection des données à caractère personnel, Assemblée nationale de Madagascar
  3. Data Protection in Madagascar, DLA Piper
  4. 3GPP TS 23.038: Alphabets and language-specific information

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