International SMS is a short message service which allows you to send and receive text messages to and from other countries globally. One SMS is limited to 160 characters.

8ta customers pay a R1.50 standard rate for an International SMS.

There are countries which you can only send to (one way International SMS) and those you can send to and receive from (two way International SMS). Click here to download the one way SMS and two way SMS countries and operators lists.

If the number of characters in a message exceeds the maximum number allowed, that message will be divided by every 160 characters and sent as separate messages. For example, if you send a message with 320 characters, it will be delivered to the recipient as two SMSs with 160 and 160 characters respectively. You will also be charged for 2 SMSes.The maximum number of characters allowed may differ depending on the overseas carrier.

Check that the international destination is on the list of supported countries and operators that have enabled SMS to 8ta. It could also be because the destination number is not available or invalid. If the destination is not on the list, then unfortunately, that operator does not send SMS to 8ta. The list of foreign operators who support SMS to 8ta is expanding, so it is advisable to check regularly. Click here for the list of countries and operators who support International SMS.

Customers that have ported in to 8ta from another network can send international SMS's but they are not yet able to receive them.

If you are experiencing difficulty with International SMS or require more information, please contact customer care on 081180.