# SMS pricing in Zambia

> SMS to Zambia costs from $0.038 per message (indicative list rate, reviewed 2026-09-24) over 3 direct operators (Airtel Zambia, MTN Zambia, Zamtel); sender IDs are registered with the ZICTA in 5-10 business days.

- Canonical URL: https://www.broadnet.me/pricing/sms/zambia
- Language: en
- Last updated: 2026-10-21
- Publisher: BroadNet (https://www.broadnet.me)

Indicative A2P SMS list rates per message, reviewed 2026-09-24. Regulator: ZICTA.

## Rates by operator

| Operator | Rate (USD) | Send window |
|---|---|---|
| Airtel Zambia | $0.0427 | — |
| MTN Zambia | $0.0404 | — |
| Zamtel | $0.0380 | — |

## Market facts

- Regulator: Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA)
- Sender-ID lead time: 5-10 business days
- Time to launch: Live in 5–15 business days from test-access request to production
- Typical OTP latency: 3.4 s
- Mobile subscribers: 21M
- Dialling code · MCC: +260 / 645
- Billing currencies: USD
- Published SMS band: USD 0.03 – 0.05

## Sender-ID rules

ZICTA sender ID registration via operator. English primary; local languages acceptable.

## SMS to Zambia: common questions

### Which operators carry SMS to Zambia, and at what rate?

BroadNet sends over 3 routes (Airtel Zambia, MTN Zambia, Zamtel). The lowest indicative list rate is $0.038 per message, reviewed 2026-09-24; volume tiers lower it automatically from 100K messages a month.

### What does the SMS price include?

Each segment is billed once: a message longer than 160 GSM-7 characters is split into segments. Delivery receipts are included with no per-receipt fee, there is no setup fee, and sender-ID registration is passed through at cost.

### Do I need to register a sender ID in Zambia?

Yes. Sender IDs are registered with the ZICTA; typical lead time: 5-10 business days. BroadNet handles the registration during onboarding.

### How do I get test access for Zambia?

Request test access from this page; we reply within one business day. Live in 5–15 business days from test-access request to production.

Coverage and sender-ID rules: https://www.broadnet.me/coverage/zambia