A service customers reach by dialling *657*01#
Reach the people no app can. A USSD code puts registration, health reporting, voting and balance checks on every GSM handset in Kenya, including the kabambe in a village with no data signal. NGOs, counties, SACCOs and farmers' groups use it to serve people where they are.
- Handset coverage
- 100%Handset coverage
- To go live (shared)
- DaysTo go live (shared)
- Session tracking
- Real-timeSession tracking
Afya Mashinani 1. Register household 2. Report a sick child 3. Nearest clinic 4. Vaccination dates
Report a sick child Which village are you in?
No app, no data bundle, no smartphone. It works the same on a KES 500 phone in a village with no internet as on a flagship in town.
From dialled code to finished session
Build the menu, dial it in the simulator, launch it and read the session reports, all from one dashboard. Developers can take over the session from their own backend.
- Dedicated codes
- A code of your own on every Kenyan network, the way *657# is ours. The number itself becomes part of your brand.
- Shared-code extensions
- An extension like *657*01# on our shared code goes live in days at a fraction of a dedicated code's cost.
- Visual menu builder
- Compose nested menus with headers, options and responses in the browser. No code and no spec documents.
- Built-in simulator
- Dial your service from the browser exactly as a customer would. Catch dead ends before launch, not after.
- Developer callback mode
- Point your code at your own endpoint. We forward every dial and keypress to you and relay your reply to the handset.
- Surveys & voting inside USSD
- Route a code straight into a poll or questionnaire. Every answer is captured per session, ready to tally.
- Session reports
- See who dialled, what they chose and where they dropped off, session by session, as it happens.
- Date windows & whitelists
- Run a service only during AGM week, or only for a list of member numbers. Both settings are in the portal.
- Automatic renewals
- Monthly code and extension fees renew from your wallet, so a missed invoice never takes the service offline.
Menu builder
Design a service the way you would sketch it on a whiteboard
A menu is a tree: a header, numbered options and what happens next. Build exactly that on screen, then walk through it in the simulator until it reads right.
- Nested menus with unlimited depth
- Edit a live service and the change applies at once
- Simulator mirrors a real handset session
- Review-and-approve step before anything goes public
Menu builder
- 1. Check balance
- 2. Mini statement
- 3. Request loan
- Add an option
Dial it in the simulator before a single customer sees it.
Codes
Dedicated code or shared extension
A dedicated code is your brand's own dialling address. A shared-code extension gives you the same service in days, without operator paperwork. Many teams start shared and move to a dedicated code later.
- A dedicated code of your own on all Kenyan networks
- Shared extensions live within days
- Monthly price shown up front, renewed from your wallet
- *657#Dedicated code
- A code of your own on every network, the way *657# is ours. The number itself is your brand.
- *657*01#Shared extension
- Your extension on our shared code. Live in days, at a fraction of the cost.
- 1 to 90 daysShort-term rental
- Rent an extension or keyword for a demo, a pilot or a one-day event. Pro-rated from the monthly price, paid upfront, and it simply ends. No renewal, no surprise charges.
Monthly renewals draw from your wallet, so the service is never interrupted.
Routing
One code, any destination
Your code is not welded to one flow. Point it at a menu, a live survey or your own API, and repoint it when the campaign changes.
- Switch destinations from the portal
- Run voting this month and a registration drive next
- Whitelists and date windows decide who can dial and when
One code, many destinations
- An interactive menu
- A live survey or vote
- Your own API
Point the code at a menu today and a vote tomorrow. You switch it in the portal without touching the operator side.
Developers
Own the session from your own backend
In callback mode we forward every dial and keypress to your endpoint and relay your response to the handset. Your logic, our operator integrations.
- Plain request and response webhook contract
- Session ID and full input trail on every hit
- Mix modes: menus for some options, callbacks for others
your-endpoint.log
POST /ussd/callback sessionId=...&phoneNumber=2547... &networkCode=1&text=1*2500
Your reply
CON Confirm loan of KES 2,500? 1. Yes 2. No
Live in four steps
- 01
Pick your code
Take a shared-code extension for speed, or apply for a dedicated code for presence.
- 02
Build the flow
Compose menus on screen, route to a survey, or point the code at your own API.
- 03
Test in the simulator
Dial the service from your browser and walk every branch before launch.
- 04
Go live and measure
Launch to real handsets and watch sessions, choices and drop-offs as they happen.
What teams use it for
Community health reporting · Beneficiary & household registration · Balance & statement checks · AGM & election voting · Member registration & KYC · Agri info & market prices · Customer feedback lines · Loan applications · Verification flows
Questions people ask
What's the difference between a dedicated code and a shared extension?
A dedicated code, like our own *657#, is registered to you alone across all networks. It gives the strongest brand presence and takes longer to set up. A shared extension (*657*01#) rides on our shared code, which is already live, so you can launch within days at a much lower monthly cost. The service you build behind either is identical.
Do my customers need internet or a smartphone?
No. USSD runs on the network signalling layer, so it works on every GSM handset ever sold in Kenya, with zero data and no app to install.
Can I test my service before customers see it?
Yes. The built-in simulator behaves like a handset dialling your code, with the same menus, inputs and session flow, so you can walk every branch before going live.
Can my own system drive the USSD session?
Yes. In callback mode we forward each dial and keypress to your endpoint and relay your response back to the phone. You keep your business logic; we keep the operator integrations.
How does billing work?
Codes and extensions are billed monthly and renew from your Mobile Sasa wallet. Each renewal shows in your wallet history, and the service never lapses because someone missed an invoice.
Works well with
Route your USSD code into a poll or questionnaire and tally answers live.
Announce your USSD service to thousands, then handle the traffic it drives.
Add a keyword customers can text when a dialled session isn't the right fit.
Put your service one dial away
Start with a shared-code extension this week, or talk to us about a dedicated code. The menu builder and simulator are already in your dashboard.