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Bulk SMS in Mozambique: INCM, Sender ID and Promo SMS Rules

Bulk SMS Mozambique guide: INCM promotional SMS consent rules, sender ID with Vodacom, Movitel and Tmcel, M-Pesa OTPs, and Portuguese accents and SMS 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 Mozambique, use a provider with routes to Vodacom, Movitel and Tmcel, set up an alphanumeric sender ID (up to 11 characters) through the operators, and send promotions only to people who opted in. Reports say a June 2026 regulator resolution limits promotional SMS to opted-in users and lets subscribers block it. Keep OTPs separate from promotions, and expect Portuguese accents to force Unicode at 70 characters.

On this page
  1. What rules apply to bulk SMS in Mozambique?
  2. What does the 2026 promotional SMS resolution change?
  3. What consent and opt-out records should you keep?
  4. How does sender ID registration work in Mozambique?
  5. Which operators carry SMS in Mozambique?
  6. How should you separate OTP and promotional traffic?
  7. How do Portuguese accents affect SMS length?
  8. When should you send?
  9. A worked example: a Maputo electronics retailer
  10. Should you add WhatsApp alongside SMS in Mozambique?
  11. Launch checklist for Mozambique
  12. What are the common mistakes?
  13. How OmniChannels.ai helps

Key takeaways

  • INCM 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.
  • Press reports describe a regulator resolution dated 2 June (2026 in the English-language summary we found) under which promotional A2P SMS reaches only users who opted in to that category with their operator, and operators must offer a free block. Confirm the status before you plan a campaign.
  • 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: Vodacom Mozambique (643-04), Tmcel (643-01) and Movitel (643-03).
  • Portuguese accents (ã, õ, ç, á, ó and others) are outside the GSM 7-bit alphabet, so accented text is usually Unicode at 70 characters (67 per part); the same message without accents fits 160.

This guide is for banks, retailers, utilities and mobile money partners that want to send business SMS to mobile numbers in Mozambique: OTPs, payment alerts, reminders and promotions. It explains who regulates what, what the reported 2026 rules on promotional SMS mean for you, how sender IDs work, and how Portuguese text affects message length. It is a practical overview, not legal advice; confirm requirements with Mozambican counsel, the regulator and the operators before launch.

What rules apply to bulk SMS in Mozambique?

Two layers matter most: the telecom regulator and operator policy, and your own consent records. No single "bulk SMS law" exists, and we could not verify the text of a general personal data law, so we do not describe one here.

Layer What it covers Where to check
INCM and the operators (Vodacom, Movitel, Tmcel) Telecom regulation, sender ID set-up, routes, promotional SMS controls incm.gov.mz
The reported promotional SMS resolution Opt-in whitelist for promotions and a free block for subscribers RTP report
Your consent records Proof of when, how and for what each number agreed Your own system

Our regulation data lists INCM (Instituto Nacional das Comunicações de Moçambique) as the regulator. Press reports on the resolution name the regulator as the Autoridade Reguladora das Comunicações, so check which body publishes the current text.

What does the 2026 promotional SMS resolution change?

Reports say it restricts promotional A2P SMS to subscribers who opted in to that category with their operator, and makes operators offer a free block. A2P means application-to-person messaging sent by businesses. According to RTP and Executive Digest, a resolution dated 2 June covers promotional, transactional or service, and OTP traffic, including messages from short codes and mobile numbers. An English-language summary dates it 2 June 2026.

What the reports describe:

  • A whitelist for promotions. Promotional messages go only to users who previously opted in to that category through their operator.
  • A free block. Operators must give subscribers a simple, free way to block all promotional SMS.
  • Controls on mass sending. Operators must temporarily block detected mass activity, keep minimal evidence and notify the number holder; misused short codes are suspended and reported.
  • Deadlines for operators. 60 days to submit an implementation plan and 180 days from publication to have the system running.

What this means in practice is that a number you have consent for may still not receive promotions if the subscriber has not opted in with their operator or has activated the block. The details of how and when each operator applies it are not something we can confirm, so check the regulator's published text, ask your provider for the current position and watch delivery reports per operator. Transactional messages and OTPs should stay free of promotional content so they are not caught by the same controls.

Keep your own record of consent regardless of what the operators enforce. Our regulation data says 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.

  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 "Ofertas da Loja Maputo por SMS".
  3. Keep marketing consent separate from 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.

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 Mozambique?

Business SMS to Mozambique 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; 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 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 Vodacom, Movitel and Tmcel handsets

Our sender ID letter generator drafts the authorisation letter, and you can check the current position with the sender ID checker or the Mozambique 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 Mozambique?

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

Operator MCC-MNC
Vodacom Mozambique 643-04
Tmcel 643-01
Movitel 643-03

Our regulation data names only Vodacom and Tmcel in its sender ID line, while the coverage data adds Movitel; we test all three. Read delivery reports per operator, 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 apps such as M-Pesa 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 or the subscriber has blocked promotions.

Traffic Example Practice
Transactional OTP, payment confirmation, delivery alert No promotion inside; own sender ID; any hour
Promotional Sale, new product, loyalty offer Opted-in numbers only; opt-out in the message; daytime schedule
Mixed "O seu pedido seguiu. 10% na próxima compra" Avoid; the offer makes it promotional

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

How do Portuguese accents affect SMS length?

Portuguese with accents is usually sent as Unicode, which holds 70 characters per message (67 per part when split), against 160 (153) for the default GSM 7-bit alphabet. The GSM alphabet includes é, è, ù, ì, ò and à, but not ã, õ, á, í, ó, ú, â, ê, ô or lowercase ç, so common words such as "não", "código" and "ninguém" trigger Unicode. See GSM-7, Unicode SMS and concatenated SMS.

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:

Message Encoding Characters Parts
Código: 482913. Não partilhe com ninguém. Loja Maputo Unicode 53 1
Codigo de verificacao: 482913. Nao partilhe com ninguem. Loja Maputo GSM-7 68 1
Loja Maputo: 10% de desconto em todos os produtos neste sabado. Detalhes: lojamaputo.example/s. Parar: lojamaputo.example/stop GSM-7 126 1
Loja Maputo: 10% de desconto em todos os produtos neste sábado. Detalhes: lojamaputo.example/s. Parar: lojamaputo.example/stop Unicode 126 2

The last two rows differ by one accent, and the second needs two parts instead of one. Many senders accept Unicode for marketing and keep OTPs short enough to fit 70 characters; dropping accents is a trade-off against readability, so decide per message type. 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 Mozambique, and our regulation data records none. Agree sending hours with your provider and the operators, send promotions in local daytime (Central Africa Time, UTC+2) 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: a Maputo electronics retailer

"Loja Maputo" (synthetic) has five stores and wants OTPs for its app, order alerts and a monthly offer.

  • It registers two sender IDs, one transactional and one promotional, and tests both on Vodacom, Movitel and Tmcel.
  • It collects marketing consent in store and in the app, and asks customers to confirm promotional SMS with their operator, since delivery of promotions may depend on it.
  • OTPs use short accented Portuguese within 70 characters, so each stays one Unicode part.
  • The monthly offer is checked against the suppression list, scheduled for local daytime and sent with opt-out wording.
  • It compares delivery per operator after each send and keeps WhatsApp as a second channel for customers who opted in there.

Should you add WhatsApp alongside SMS in Mozambique?

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 Mozambique

  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 (Vodacom, Movitel and Tmcel) 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?

  • Assuming consent equals delivery. A subscriber's operator-level choices may still stop promotions.
  • No consent evidence. Without a timestamp and source you cannot answer a regulator request.
  • Promotions inside OTPs. They risk both the codes and the route.
  • Accents that double the cost. One ã turns a 160-character message into a 70-character one.
  • Treating reported rules as final. Check the regulator's text and operator notices.
  • Treating lead times as promises. Plan buffer beyond 10 to 14 business days.

How OmniChannels.ai helps

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

Frequently asked questions

Is bulk SMS legal in Mozambique?

Yes, businesses send OTPs, alerts and marketing by SMS through licensed operators, but promotional traffic is tightening. Reports say a 2026 regulator resolution limits promotional SMS to users who opted in with their operator. Use a registered sender ID, send marketing only to people who agreed and keep records you can produce on request.

What is the INCM promotional SMS resolution?

According to Portuguese-language press reports, a resolution dated 2 June sets rules for A2P SMS: promotional messages are delivered only to users who opted in to that category through their operator, operators offer a free way to block all promotional SMS, and they had 60 days to submit an implementation plan and 180 days to have the system running. Check the regulator's text for the current status.

Do I need to register a sender ID in Mozambique?

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.

Does Portuguese text use GSM-7 or Unicode?

Portuguese with accents such as ã, õ, ç, á, í, ó and ú uses letters outside the default GSM 7-bit alphabet, so a message containing any of them is sent as Unicode and holds 70 characters. The same text without accents fits 160, but unaccented Portuguese reads poorly, so most senders accept Unicode for marketing and keep OTPs short.

Can I send M-Pesa style OTPs by SMS in Mozambique?

Yes. Mobile money and banking apps commonly confirm logins and payments by SMS code. Send them 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 late code is a failed login.

Will operators block my promotions?

They may, if the subscriber has not opted in or has activated the block that the resolution requires. Treat delivery of promotions as conditional on the subscriber's own settings, keep your own consent records and monitor delivery reports per operator.

Sources

  1. RTP: Moçambique passa a bloquear SMS promocionais sem autorização do utilizador
  2. Executive Digest: Moçambique passa a bloquear SMS promocionais sem autorização do utilizador
  3. Parameter: Mozambique regulator mandates user consent for gambling text message campaigns
  4. Instituto Nacional das Comunicações de Moçambique (INCM)
  5. 3GPP TS 23.038: Alphabets and language-specific information

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