SMS Marketing in Ghana: Rules, Costs and Templates (2026 Guide)

SMS marketing in Ghana means sending promotional, transactional and reminder text messages to customers who have agreed to receive them, under a registered sender ID that shows your business name. It reaches phones on MTN, Telecel and AT whether or not the customer has mobile data. The rules are short: get consent first, send promotions only between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. and never on a Sunday, and make opting out free.

At a glance

• Ghana had 41.8 million cellular mobile connections, equal to 119% of the population, according to DataReportal's Digital 2026: Ghana report.
• The same report counts 8.95 million people, about a quarter of the population, who are not online. SMS reaches them; apps and email do not.
• The National Communications Authority's consumer guidance says promotional messages should arrive only between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m., never on Sundays, and that opting out costs the customer nothing.
• Section 40 of the Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843) requires prior written consent before personal data is used for direct marketing.
• One standard SMS holds 160 characters. A single cedi sign (₵) or Twi letter such as ɛ switches it to Unicode, which holds only 70.

Why does SMS marketing work in Ghana?

SMS works in Ghana because it reaches almost every phone, including the millions that have no internet connection. It needs no app, no data bundle and no smartphone.

The numbers from DataReportal's Digital 2026: Ghana report, published in November 2025, show the gap clearly:

Connections outnumber people because many Ghanaians carry more than one SIM. DataReportal also notes that some connections are used only for voice calls and SMS. For a business, that means a text message can reach customers that a WhatsApp broadcast, an email or a social media post never will.

How does SMS compare with other channels in Ghana?

SMS is the only written channel that needs neither internet nor an app. Each channel still has a job it does best.

Most businesses get the best results by using SMS as the default channel and adding voice or WhatsApp where the message needs it. BMS Africa (by mNotify) runs bulk SMS, voice calls, USSD and one-time passwords from one account, so the same contact list serves every channel.

What are the rules for SMS marketing in Ghana?

SMS marketing in Ghana is legal when customers have opted in, promotions go out between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. from Monday to Saturday, every message identifies your business, and opting out is free. Three sources set these rules: the NCA's consumer guidance, the NCA's code of conduct on unsolicited messages, and the Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843).

This table is a practical summary for business owners, not legal advice. For a specific case, check with the Data Protection Commission or a lawyer.

What counts as consent?

Consent is a clear yes from the customer, recorded at the moment they gave it. A ticked box on a sign-up form, a signed loyalty slip, or a customer texting a keyword to join all count. A phone number copied from an invoice, a WhatsApp group or a bought list does not.

Keep a record of where and when each customer joined, and what you told them they would receive. If a customer complains, that record is your evidence. Customers can report unwanted messages to the NCA on 0800-110-622 or at complaints@nca.org.gh, so the record matters.

Do you need a sender ID?

Yes. A sender ID is the name that appears as the sender of your SMS, such as "NhyiraSalon" instead of a phone number. It tells customers who is texting them, which the NCA requires, and it builds trust.

A sender ID has to be registered and approved before you can use it, so request yours before you plan your first campaign. On BMS Africa you can register a sender ID from the dashboard or through the BMS API and check its approval status the same way. Registration is free, and BMS reviews sender IDs the same day.

What types of SMS marketing campaigns can you run?

Most Ghanaian businesses use five kinds of SMS: promotions, transactional messages, reminders, engagement messages and automated messages. The type decides which rules apply, so it is worth labelling each campaign before you write it.

The safe rule is simple. The moment a message asks the customer to buy something, treat it as promotional, whatever else it says. The NCA's code of conduct also expects transactional messages to stay free of third-party promotions (section 7.2.1).

Automated messages are where SMS saves the most staff time. BMS Africa includes birthday messaging, which sends a greeting to each contact on their birthday without anyone remembering the date. Our guide to automated birthday SMS covers the set-up step by step.

How do you build an SMS marketing list in Ghana?

Build your list from customers who already deal with you, and ask them at the moment they are giving you their details anyway. Never buy a list: it breaks the consent rules and fills your campaigns with numbers that never reply.

Good places to collect opt-ins:

• The checkout counter or till. "Would you like our offers by SMS?" with a sign-up slip or a tablet form.
• Booking and order forms. An unticked box that reads "Send me offers and updates by SMS".
• Loyalty cards and warranty slips. Customers already expect to hear from you afterwards.
• Your website and social pages. A short form with the phone number and the consent box.
• Events and church or school meetings. A paper register with a clear consent line at the top.

Tell people what they will get and how often: "one or two offers a month" is easier to agree to than an open promise. Then keep your promise: sending more often than you said is a quick way to lose subscribers.

How do you launch an SMS marketing campaign?

A campaign goes from idea to phone in seven steps. The first step takes the longest, so start it early.

1. Register your sender ID. It needs approval before first use.
2. Import your contacts into groups and note where each group gave consent.
3. Choose one goal and one call to action, such as "visit the shop this Saturday" or "pay by 31 October".
4. Write the message in 160 standard characters or fewer, with your business name and the opt-out route.
5. Schedule it inside the legal window: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday to Saturday, for anything promotional.
6. Test it on real phones before it reaches customers (see the test procedure below).
7. Send, then read the delivery report and compare results with your last campaign.

On BMS Africa, steps 2, 5 and 7 run from one dashboard: contact groups, scheduled sending and campaign reports. Our step-by-step guide to sending bulk SMS in Ghana walks through each screen.

How many characters can an SMS have, and how does that affect cost?

One standard SMS holds 160 characters. Longer messages are split into parts of 153 characters, and every part is charged as one SMS. If the message contains a character outside the standard set, the whole message switches to Unicode, which holds only 70 characters, or 67 per part.

The Ghana-specific traps

These characters are not in the standard set, so any one of them pushes the whole message into Unicode:

• The cedi sign, ₵, and the old ¢ symbol. Write "GHS 50" instead of "₵50".
• Twi, Ga and Ewe letters such as ɛ, ɔ and ŋ. A greeting written in proper Twi spelling costs more than the same greeting in English.
• Curly quotes and apostrophes (’ and “ ”) that Word, Google Docs and WhatsApp insert automatically. Type your message in the SMS box or a plain-text editor.
• Any emoji at all.

A few symbols, including €, [ ], { }, ~ and |, stay standard but count as two characters each.

Worked example: one symbol doubles the bill

A salon sends this 130-character offer to 5,000 customers:

Nhyira Salon: 20% off braids and nails this Fri and Sat only. Show this SMS at our Osu shop. To opt out, text STOP to 0XX XXX XXXX

In standard characters it fits in one SMS, so the campaign uses 5,000 SMS. Change "20% off" to "₵20 off" and the message is still 130 characters, but it is now Unicode. At 67 characters per part it needs two parts, and the campaign uses 10,000 SMS, for exactly the same words.

The same thing happens when a curly apostrophe slips in from a copied draft. Check the character and part count before every send; the BMS Africa pricing page shows current rates per SMS.

If you want to reach customers in Twi, Ga, Ewe or Dagbani, a recorded voice message is often a better fit than Unicode text, especially for audiences who prefer listening to reading. BMS Africa supports voice calls and text-to-speech alongside SMS.

Five SMS templates you can copy

Each template below is in standard characters and fits in one SMS. Replace the business details and keep the same length, and it will still send as one part. "0XX XXX XXXX" stands for your opt-out or contact number.

Send the church announcement on Saturday, not Sunday morning, so it stays inside the promotional window. For more ready-made messages by industry and occasion, see our SMS templates for Ghanaian businesses.

How do you test an SMS campaign before it goes out?

Send the exact message to a small test group of your own staff before it reaches a single customer. Reading the draft on screen is not enough, because the phone shows you problems the dashboard does not.

1. Create a test group of three or four staff numbers, with at least one each on MTN, Telecel and AT.
2. Give the test contacts real-looking names, and leave one name blank, so you can see how a name merge behaves when the field is empty.
3. Send the final message to the test group, using the same sender ID and template as the real campaign.
4. Check on each phone: the sender ID displays correctly, the name reads naturally (no "Hello ," on the blank contact), any link opens, and the message arrived as one piece.
5. Check the delivery report for the number of parts charged. If it says two and you expected one, look for a hidden Unicode character.
6. Test the opt-out route by texting STOP from one test phone and confirming that number is excluded next time.

Only then schedule the real send.

Which metrics should you track?

Track five numbers for every campaign, and compare each one with your own previous campaigns rather than with a general benchmark. Your list, your customers and your offers are what the numbers describe.

To measure conversions without a website, give each campaign its own code, such as "Show this SMS" or "Quote OCT20 at the till", and count how many customers use it.

What catches people out?

Each of these mistakes costs Ghanaian businesses money or customers, and each one is easy to avoid.

• "Reply STOP" under a name sender ID. A sender ID made of letters usually cannot receive replies, so a customer who replies STOP reaches no one. Give a real opt-out route instead: a number or short code to text.
• Sunday promotions. A scheduled offer that slips to Sunday breaks the NCA's guidance. Check the day as well as the time.
• The cedi sign and curly apostrophes. One ₵ or ’ can double the number of SMS you pay for.
• Blank names in merged messages. "Hello ," looks careless. Keep punctuation away from the name, or leave the name out for contacts without one.
• Starting a campaign before the sender ID is approved. Registration involves a review, so request it well before your launch date.
• Old, unconsented lists. Numbers collected years ago for another purpose do not count as consent under Act 843.

Your pre-send checklist

• Every contact in the group opted in, and you know where
• The sender ID is approved and shows your business name
• The message is 160 standard characters or fewer, with no ₵, emoji or curly quotes
• The message names your business and gives a free way to opt out
• Promotional sends are scheduled Monday to Saturday, between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m.
• The test group received the message correctly on MTN, Telecel and AT
• You know which metric will tell you whether the campaign worked

Frequently asked questions

Is SMS marketing legal in Ghana?

Yes. SMS marketing is legal in Ghana when customers have opted in, each message identifies the sender, and opting out is free. The NCA's consumer guidance limits promotional messages to 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and rules out Sundays. Act 843 adds that direct marketing needs the customer's prior written consent.

How much does SMS marketing cost in Ghana?

The cost is the rate per SMS multiplied by the number of recipients and the number of parts in each message. A 150-character message in standard text is one part; the same message with a single cedi sign or emoji becomes Unicode and needs three parts, tripling the cost. Current rates are on the BMS Africa pricing page.

Can I send promotional SMS on a Sunday in Ghana?

No. The NCA's consumer guidance says promotional messages should not be sent on Sundays. Transactional messages, such as order confirmations and one-time passwords, are different because they are not promotions. If a Sunday event needs promoting, send the message on Saturday before 7 p.m.

What is a sender ID, and do I need one?

A sender ID is the business name that appears as the sender of your SMS instead of a phone number. You need one because the NCA requires commercial messages to identify the sender, and customers are more likely to trust a name they recognise. Sender IDs must be registered and approved before first use.

Do I need written consent to send marketing SMS?

For direct marketing, yes. Section 40 of the Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843) requires prior written consent before a business uses personal data for direct marketing. A signed form, a ticked online box or a recorded keyword sign-up all serve as a written record of that consent.

Is SMS better than WhatsApp for marketing in Ghana?

SMS reaches more people; WhatsApp does more with each message. DataReportal counts 8.95 million Ghanaians who are not online, and SMS is the only written channel that reaches them. WhatsApp suits conversations and images for customers with data. Many businesses send the offer by SMS and handle follow-up questions on WhatsApp.

Start with one list and one campaign

SMS marketing in Ghana comes down to a few habits: collect consent at the counter or on the form, register your sender ID early, write in standard characters, send promotions Monday to Saturday between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m., and measure every campaign against the last one. Pick one group of customers who have opted in and one offer, and run your first campaign this week.

BMS Africa (by mNotify) has run business messaging in Ghana since 2012. mNotify has served more than 26,000 organisations, and more than 10,000 businesses use BMS Africa today. Create a free BMS Africa account to register your sender ID and send your first campaign.

Sources

• Digital 2026: Ghana, DataReportal, November 2025
• Frequently Asked Questions, National Communications Authority, accessed 29 September 2026
• Code of Conduct on Unsolicited Electronic Communications, National Communications Authority, amended November 2016
• Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843), GhaLII
• Data Protection Commission, Ghana