Studio · USSD
A USSD development company in Kenya for customers without data
Dial a short code, read a menu, press a number. We build USSD services through Africa’s Talking for customers on any phone, with or without data.
What a USSD service can do
Think of a chama treasurer checking a balance from a basic phone in a village with weak signal. USSD fits that moment.
- Self-service menus: balances, statements, registrations, bookings.
- Payment prompts that trigger a mobile money request.
- Links to your database, so what the customer sees is current.
How USSD works, in one paragraph
When a customer dials your code, the network sends a request to your server. Your server replies with the next menu text. The session ends when the customer stops or times out. There is no app to install and no data bundle needed.
Sessions are short and screens are small, so the menu design matters as much as the code. Read how USSD works for the mechanics.
Where USSD sits in our stack
USSD through Africa’s Talking is part of the stack we build on and teach in our Marathon programme. We are saying only that: it is a tool we use, not a long list of USSD client launches.
What affects the cost
The depth of the menu, how many systems it must read, whether it triggers payments, and the short code and network arrangements you need all shape the scope. Short codes are arranged with the provider, outside our build.
We quote after a scoping call. If you are unsure whether USSD, an app or WhatsApp suits your customers, read USSD, app or WhatsApp first. A working v1 comes in the first week.
Want your own team to build it?
See corporate training, or build a USSD app in Kenya to try it yourself.
Frequently asked questions
- Does USSD need the internet?
- No. It runs over the mobile network, so it works on a basic phone with no data.
- Which provider do you use?
- Africa’s Talking is the USSD provider in our stack.
- Can a USSD menu trigger an M-Pesa payment?
- It can. We connect the menu to a payment request, and the customer confirms with a PIN.
- Should I build USSD, an app or a WhatsApp bot?
- It depends on who your customers are and what phones they hold. We help you choose on the scoping call.
- How much does USSD development cost?
- It depends on the menu depth, the systems behind it and the short code. We quote after a free scoping call.
Reach the customer with the basic phone
Describe the menu you picture. We will scope the service with you on a free call.
Book a free scoping callLast checked