OTP & 2FA SMS API for AfricaOTP & 2FA SMS API for Africa
OTP SMS API delivers one-time passwords to users' phones in seconds - the secure verification channel fintechs, banks, and apps rely on when every login and transaction must be confirmed.
OTP SMS API for fast 2FA and login verification across African networks - sub-5-second delivery, 99.9% uptime, free API keys.
Trusted across African enterprises
Trusted by Aar, Bidco, Creditinfo, Devki, Dhl, Kengen, Kimisitu, Muthokinju, Pathcare, Premier Hosp, Royal Milk, Safeboda, U&I Microfinance, Unaitas, Unicef, Username, Usernamesacco, Yego
Why businesses choose Celcom Africa's OTP SMS
One African messaging stack - routes, compliance, and delivery tools that work together.
Sub-5-second delivery
Direct carrier routes across Africa mean codes land before users abandon the form.
99.9% uptime SLA
Redundant routing per country so a single network outage doesn't take down your login flow.
Configurable code expiry
Set OTP validity from 30 seconds to 10 minutes per use case through the API.
Fraud-resistant delivery
Rate limiting and number validation built in to block SIM-swap and spam abuse attempts.
Works on feature phones
Unlike app-based 2FA, SMS OTP reaches millions of African users without smartphones.
Built for compliance-sensitive sectors
OTP SMS is most heavily used in regulated industries - banking, fintech, insurance - where customer authentication is a regulatory requirement. Celcom Africa's OTP infrastructure supports audit logging and delivery receipts institutions need, with data handling aligned with Kenya's DPA 2019, Nigeria's NDPR, and South Africa's POPIA.
- Audit-ready delivery receipts
- Aligned with central bank cybersecurity expectations
- Regional data protection practices
How OTP SMS works
- 1
Generate the code
Your app creates a one-time numeric code server-side.
- 2
Call the Celcom Africa API
Send the code and recipient number via a single POST request.
- 3
Code delivery
The SMS lands on the recipient's phone within seconds via the nearest carrier route.
- 4
Verification
Your app checks the user-entered code against your stored value before granting access.
- 5
Expiry & cleanup
Unused codes auto-expire based on your configured TTL.
Common use cases
From Nairobi fintechs to Lagos retailers - teams across Africa run customer-critical messaging on Celcom every day.
- Bank login and mobile money transaction verification
- E-commerce checkout fraud prevention
- Account password reset confirmation
- New user signup verification
- High-value transaction step-up authentication
Frequently asked questions
How fast does an OTP SMS arrive?
Typically within 2-5 seconds via Celcom Africa's direct carrier routes, though delivery can vary slightly during periods of high network congestion.
Can I customize the OTP message format?
Yes - you control the message template, code length, and expiry window through the API or dashboard.
What happens if an OTP fails to deliver?
Our system automatically retries via an alternate route and can fall back to a secondary channel if configured.
Is OTP SMS compliant with banking regulations?
Yes, our infrastructure supports the logging and audit trail requirements common to CBK, CBN, and other regional banking regulators.
Do you support OTP delivery to feature phones?
Yes - SMS OTP works on any mobile phone, unlike app-based authenticators that require a smartphone.
Get started with OTP SMS
Start sending OTPs in minutes with a free trial - no credit card required.
OTP pricing is volume-based with no setup fees. A full REST API, SDKs, and sandbox testing environment are available so your developers can go from signup to first OTP sent the same day.