Target everyone with your mobile service, even on feature phones, thanks to USSD and #303# My Store API
The mobile market in the Middle East and Africa still numbers around 80% of feature phone users. Reaching them with only mobile apps or web pages can be a challenge, as their mobile phone will not support them. How can you overcome this barrier? One of the best methods currently is to develop a USSD service.
Just one number needed: #303#
This protocol is massively used by all mobile phone users in Africa, making your service accessible to a broader number of people. We’re helping you reach the entire Orange customer base in the region by implementing a pan-African USSD B2B2C platform: #303# My Store.
The platform is already live in Ivory Coast, Mali, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon and Senegal and soon more. In any country, users just need the single #303# short code to browse and subscribe to services (with one exception: Cameroon, where the short code is #203#) and can pay easily by using their Orange credits.
Integrate once, distribute everywhere
Want to know how to add your service? Contact our B2B sales team to link up with our business unit in your country. You can then start developing your service under the USSD format. Send us the URL that will be integrated to #303# My Store, and get distributed in all countries where the service is available!
The process usually takes only around 15 days. If you need help developing for the USSD platform, Orange teams members in your country and/or in France will be happy to help! Finally, #303# My Store is based on a revenue sharing model for you to grow your business at your own rhythm.
Read the story of how our partner NodCorp in Cameroon integrated their service on #303# My Store.
USSD services for all partners and use cases
#303# My Store is already in use by partners of all shapes and sizes, including startups and large companies. With startups, we’ve seen interesting applications in several sectors including e-commerce, e-health and e-agriculture. Developers love the platform because their service becomes available to feature phones users—especially in rural zones. Our partner MLouma, for instance, saw its user base grow from 1,000 to 75,000 users in about six months, in part thanks to this increased accessibility.
For the 2016-2017 television season, we partnered with several African TV properties. During live broadcasts of the francophone edition of The Voice, launched by broadcaster Voxafrica, viewers are currently invited to vote for their favorite acts as well as participate in games and quizzes through the #303# My Store, paying with their airtime.
This is a commercial success for the TV show, with increased ratings and revenue, and a great experience for viewers to get involved: the show already registered more than 200,000 user contributions in four countries. It also opens the door to interesting new developments down the line.
