Send SMS to the DR Congo online

Kinshasa, the capital of DR Congo, is a lively city with small markets, mobile phone repair shops, and local transport services. Schools, churches, and small traders often use text messages to communicate with their communities. A church might text members about a special service, or a market vendor could let customers know about fresh produce arrivals. Texts are effective here because they are simple, reliable, and accessible to everyone, even in areas with limited internet.

DR Congo

+243 · Central and Southern Africa

Price per message

$0.01528

For $40
2,617 SMS
Alphabet
GSM-7 or Unicode
1,000 messages
$15.28
Example number
+243 991 234 567

What a bulk SMS campaign to the DR Congo costs

The price is $0.01528 per segment. A short plain text is one segment; a text of up to 306 plain characters, or one with emoji or special letters over 70 characters, is two. These totals are exact for single-segment and two-segment texts.

Need a different count? The pricing calculator works it out for any number of messages, and the workspace shows the exact total for your own list, including names merged into the text.

Campaign cost to DR Congo
Recipients1 segment2 segments
100$1.53$3.06
500$7.64$15.28
1,000$15.28$30.56
5,000$76.40$152.80
10,000$152.80$305.60

Who sends text messages to customers in the DR Congo

Small businesses and organizations in the DR Congo use short texts for times, places and changes. A few examples:
  • Market vendors

    Vendors in Lubumbashi text customers when new shipments of vegetables arrive.

  • Churches

    Churches in Kinshasa text members about prayer meetings and community events.

  • Transport services

    Drivers in Goma text passengers about bus schedules and route changes.

  • Schools

    Schools in Bukavu text parents about exam schedules and school fees.

Phone number format in DR Congo

A mobile number in the DR Congo has 9 digits after +243. People write it locally with a 0 in front (0991 234 567); paste it like that with the DR Congo as the default country, or as +243 991 234 567, and the workspace treats both the same.

Alphabet and message length

Texts in French stay at 160 characters per segment until they use â, ê, î, ô, û, ç, ë and ï. Those letters are not in GSM-7, so the message becomes Unicode with 70 characters per segment (67 per part). Short reminders written without them stay in one segment, and the composer names each letter that changed the count.

Main languages: French.

Best time to send to DR Congo

The DR Congo has more than one time zone, from UTC+1 in Kinshasa to UTC+2 in Lubumbashi in January. A campaign scheduled for 10:00 in Kinshasa reaches other regions earlier or later, so for local reminders split the list by region and schedule each part for its own morning.

09:30

Your business

Text Message · Today 09:30

Hi Lee, your order is ready. Collect it today from 2 pm at the front desk.

Questions about texting the DR Congo

More answers are in the help center.
How much does it cost to send an SMS to the DR Congo?

One message (one segment) to the DR Congo costs $0.01528. A campaign to 1,000 people with a short text costs $15.28, and a two-segment text costs twice that. Failed messages are refunded to your credit.

How many messages to the DR Congo does a $40 top-up send?

$40 sends 2,617 single-segment messages to the DR Congo, and more with the bonus on your first top-up. Credit has no expiry date, so what you do not use stays in your account.

How long can a text to the DR Congo be?

Texts in French stay at 160 characters per segment until they use â, ê, î, ô, û, ç, ë and ï. Those letters are not in GSM-7, so the message becomes Unicode with 70 characters per segment (67 per part). Short reminders written without them stay in one segment, and the composer names each letter that changed the count.

What number format do I use for the DR Congo?

A mobile number in the DR Congo has 9 digits after +243. People write it locally with a 0 in front (0991 234 567); paste it like that with the DR Congo as the default country, or as +243 991 234 567, and the workspace treats both the same.

Should I send texts in French or local languages?

French is widely understood and used in formal communication, making it a practical choice. Local languages like Lingala or Swahili can be more personal for community-focused messages.

Are there times when texts are less effective?

Avoid sending texts late at night or early in the morning. Weekends work well, but avoid sending texts on Independence Day or during major events in Kinshasa.

Ready to text the DR Congo?

Create an account, paste your DR Congo numbers and see the exact total before you send. Top up from $40: that is 2,617 messages to the DR Congo.

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Send SMS to the DR Congo Online from $0.01528 | SendSMSOnline