In its latest Messaging Trends Report 2026, communications platform Infobip says its 20-year analysis of 3,8-trillion messages reveals a rise of omnichannel and AI-driven communication in South Africa.
Drawing on data from 628-billion mobile interactions in 2025 – and a historical review of 3,8-trillion messages over the past 20 years – the report charts the evolution from single-channel messaging to complex, AI-powered omnichannel experiences.
The data reveals a shift in how brands engage with customers in South Africa, where Infobip has been supporting businesses for over 15 years.
While SMS remains a critical pillar for reliability, accounting for 62% of traffic, other channels are rapidly growing in importance. Email traffic across Africa grew 70%, WhatsApp 17%, and other chat apps 7-fold highlighting the increasing adoption of cost-effective digital communication channels. AI adoption is gaining momentum, primarily for customer acquisition and service enhancement.
Key findings in the report for South Africa include:
- Agentic AI is enabling the next major steps in business messaging. Moving beyond simple chatbots, AI agents are now capable of autonomous, goal-driven interactions – orchestrating complex customer journeys across channels.
- Single-channel communication is now obsolete for global brands. Ten years ago, 73% of platform traffic was single-channel. By 2025, that figure has dropped to just 2,3% as 98% of interactions now span multiple channels.
- SMS remains a key channel, with cost-effective options such as USSD continuing to play an important role due to affordability and connectivity realities across the continent.
“Our 20-year anniversary data set gives us a unique vantage point to see not just where we are, but where we are going,” says Ante Pamukovic, chief revenue officer at Infobip. “In South Africa, the era of the simple notification is over. Brands are orchestrating conversations across SMS, WhatsApp, Email and Voice, and increasingly leveraging AI to enhance customer journeys. The future is omnichannel, conversational, and increasingly powered by Agentic AI.”
Filip Filkovic, Africa sales director at Infobip, adds: “What really differentiates leading brands in Africa now is not the channel mix, but the intelligence and orchestration behind it. When CRM, AI and data sit on a single platform, messaging stops being a series of disconnected alerts and becomes an end-to-end, personalised customer journey.”