Africa's Talking USSD Tutorial: Reach Users Across 10+ Countries

The Pan-African Gateway

Africa's Talking (AT) is the go-to provider for developers looking to scale across borders. With a single API, you can reach users in Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia, and many other markets.

The AT Sandbox

One of the best features of Africa's Talking is their simulator. You can test your USSD flow in a virtual environment before spending a cent on shortcodes.

Building the Logic

AT uses a simple plain-text response format:

• Start your response with CON if you want to continue the session.
• Start your response with END if you want to terminate the session.

Integration Steps

1. Sign Up: Create an account on the AT dashboard.
2. Setup Sandbox: Create a test shortcode.
3. Point to Asterisks: In the AT dashboard, set your callback URL to your Asterisks instance.
4. Build Visually: Use the Asterisks builder to define your logic across multiple screens.

AT's simplicity combined with Asterisks' visual power makes it the fastest way to deploy a cross-border USSD service in 2026.