Whether you’re reaching customers in Cape Town from your offices in Johannesburg or connecting with users abroad, getting started with RBM in South Africa is easier than you think – especially with a platform like Kero handling the heavy lifting.

Sending RCS Messages Within South Africa

To send RCS Business Messages locally, your first step is to partner with an RCS Messaging-as-a-Service (MaaS) provider or aggregator, like Kero. These providers connect your brand to Google Jibe, the global backbone of RCS messaging used by most mobile operators, Android, and now, Apple devices.

Here’s how it works on our Kero platform:

1. Register your brand agent: Create a verified sender profile with your business name, logo, banner, and a short description.
2. Build your templates: Use Kero’s intuitive tools to design conversation flows, rich media formats, and interactive elements like carousels, quick replies, and other call-to-action.
3. Submit for approval: Submit your use case directly through Kero. We’ll guide you through Google’s review and brand verification process to ensure everything meets compliance and quality standards.
4. Start sending: Once your brand agent is approved, you can launch campaigns to opted-in customers across all major South African networks. 

Currently, only your customers using RCS-enabled Android devices can be reached. And if a customer’s device or network doesn’t support RCS? Your message can automatically fall back to SMS, provided this has been enabled with the Kero platform. 

Another nuance of the South Africa is that while all major networks in South Africa support RCS, for Vodacom users, RCS Business Message delivery requires an active mobile data or Wi-Fi connection.

Sending RCS Business Messages to Contacts Outside South Africa

Looking to send messages internationally? You absolutely can. Just keep a few key points in mind:

• Check country coverage – RCS is not yet universal. Confirm whether the destination country and its mobile network operators support RCS. [Insert link to Network Directory page]
• Use correct country codes – Ensure your contact’s international numbers are properly formatted with the right dialling code (e.g., +44 for the UK, +1 for the USA). Incorrect formatting will result in a failed delivery.
• Expect varied pricing – International messaging may come with different rates, and especially if fallback to SMS is enabled. Check on the cost of your international campaign before you hit send.

So, whether you’re messaging to customers in Johannesburg, Jacobsdal or Jeffreys Bay in South Africa or based internationally in Jakarta, Jeddah or Jelgava, RCS Business Messaging gives you the tools to deliver visually rich, branded conversations straight to your customers’ inbox – no app downloads required.

And with Kero, you can manage everything, from registration to template creation to message delivery, all on one powerful, easy-to-use rich business platform.

Ready to upgrade your business messaging?

Book a demo with us and see how RCS can help you start smarter conversations that get results. For more information visit our RCS Business Messaging page.