SMS Industry Set for Major Shift as Infobip, Bayobab Join Forces

Bayobab, a subsidiary of MTN Group, has entered a strategic five-year partnership with global cloud communications provider Infobip. This collaboration aims to optimise SMS delivery across Africa by leveraging Infobip’s Communication Platform as a Service (CPaaS) technology.

With this agreement, Bayobab will utilise Infobip’s CPaaS modules for campaign management, APIs, and analytics, ensuring seamless message routing. Additionally, the company will integrate Infobip’s firewall security solutions to enhance protection for its mobile subscribers.

Streamlining Messaging Services

Bayobab operates one of Africa’s largest connectivity infrastructures, with a network spanning over 115,000 km of fibre optic cable. The company manages access to 24 subsea cables and maintains over 70 Points of Presence across Africa, Europe, and Asia. By incorporating Infobip’s technology, Bayobab aims to simplify SMS connectivity, reducing operational costs while improving efficiency.

Traditionally, brands looking to send messages across MTN Group networks had to establish individual connections with each mobile operator. However, this partnership introduces a centralised solution, enabling brands and aggregators to connect securely through a single access point.

Industry Leaders Weigh In

Kedar Gupte, Chief Mobility Business Officer at Bayobab, stated: “We wanted to simplify how brands manage messaging in Africa with a single access point, high-quality service, and necessary controls. Our partnership with Infobip equips us to do this on a large scale and is crucial for tapping into Africa’s growth potential, where consumers demand messaging solutions, chat apps, and internet access.”

Meanwhile, Matija Ražem, Chief Commercial Telecom Officer at Infobip, commented: “Our partnership optimises Bayobab’s SMS connectivity and routing across Africa, supporting its expansion plans. We invested heavily in our CPaaS enablement capabilities, which now serve MNOs worldwide with top-tier security and efficiency.”

This collaboration marks a significant step in Africa’s telecom evolution, with potential benefits for mobile operators, businesses, and end users alike. As digital communication continues to grow, streamlined SMS services could play a crucial role in shaping the future of messaging across the continent.