▶ API Reference Documentation
WilCybertek SMS Gateway API
A direct, low-latency SMS gateway connecting your applications to Zambia's three major mobile networks — MTN, Airtel, and Zamtel — via physical on-premise GSM hardware. No international routing. No hidden relay fees.
All Networks Online
TLS 1.3 Encrypted
<5s Avg. Delivery
REST / JSON
Quickstart
Send your first SMS message in under 5 minutes.
1
Register & Get Your API Key
Create a free developer account. Your unique 32-character API key is generated automatically and displayed in your dashboard.
2
Refill Your SMS Credits
Top up your balance via MTN, Airtel, or Zamtel Mobile Money directly from your dashboard. Credits are added instantly after payment confirmation.
3
Make Your First API Call
POST a JSON payload to our endpoint with your API key, recipient phone number, and message.
cURL — Quick Test
curl -X POST https://sms.wilcybertek.com/api \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"api_key": "YOUR_API_KEY_HERE",
"to": "260977000000",
"message": "Hello! This is my first WilCybertek SMS."
}'
Authentication
Every API request must include your unique API Key.
Keep your API key secret. Never expose it in client-side JavaScript, public repositories, or shared environments.
You can regenerate your API key at any time from your dashboard. Regenerating immediately invalidates the previous key.
Including Your Key
JSON
{
"api_key": "YOUR_32_CHAR_API_KEY",
"to": "260977000000",
"message": "Your message here"
}
Send SMS
The primary endpoint for sending a single SMS message to any Zambian mobile number.
POSThttps://sms.wilcybertek.com/api
Request Parameters
Example Request
PHP
<?php $payload = json_encode([ "api_key" => getenv("WCT_API_KEY"), "to" => "260977000000", "message" => "Your account balance is K250.00" ]); $ch = curl_init("https://sms.wilcybertek.com/api"); curl_setopt_array($ch, [ CURLOPT_POST=>true, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS=>$payload, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER=>true, CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER=>["Content-Type: application/json"] ]); $r = json_decode(curl_exec($ch), true); curl_close($ch); echo $r['success'] ? "✓ Queued" : "Error: ".$r['error'];
Response
200 OK — Success
{
"success": true,
"id": 42,
"status": "QUEUED"
}
401 Unauthorized — Error
{
"error": "Invalid API key"
}
Bulk SMS
Send the same message to multiple recipients in a single API call.
POSThttps://sms.wilcybertek.com/api/bulk
Bulk sends are processed asynchronously. Each message deducts 1 credit. Maximum 500 recipients per bulk request.
JSON Body
{
"api_key": "YOUR_API_KEY",
"recipients": ["260977000001", "260966000002"],
"message": "Flash sale! 30% off all services today."
}
Check Balance
Retrieve your current SMS credit balance programmatically.
GEThttps://sms.wilcybertek.com/api/balance?api_key=YOUR_KEY
200 OK
{
"balance": 249,
"is_unlimited": false
}
Message Logs
Retrieve a paginated list of your recent message activity including delivery statuses.
GEThttps://sms.wilcybertek.com/api/logs?api_key=KEY&page=1&limit=50
Supported Networks
WilCybertek routes messages through physical Android gateway hardware with active local SIM cards.
📶
MTN Zambia
Prefixes: 076, 096, 097
📡
Airtel Zambia
Prefixes: 075, 095, 077
🔗
Zamtel
Prefixes: 050, 055, 056
All three networks are active. The gateway polls every 5 seconds, ensuring typical delivery within 5–30 seconds.
Phone Number Formatting
All phone numbers must be submitted in Zambian international format.
Rate Limits
To maintain fair usage across all developers:
Single SMS
120
requests per minute
Bulk SMS
10
bulk requests per minute
Balance / Logs
300
requests per minute
Max Bulk Recipients
500
numbers per bulk call
When you exceed rate limits, the API returns HTTP 429 Too Many Requests.
Error Codes
All errors return a JSON body with an error field.
Security Best Practices
Never embed your API key in client-side code. Your key should only live in server-side backend code.
Rotate your key regularly. Use the Regenerate Key feature in your dashboard — old keys are invalidated immediately.
Use environment variables. Store your API key as
WCT_API_KEY rather than hardcoding it in source files.All traffic is TLS 1.3 encrypted. API keys are stored using Argon2id hashing — never in plain text.
PHP Examples
PHP — Send OTP
<?php function sendOTP(string $phone, int $otp): bool { $ch = curl_init("https://sms.wilcybertek.com/api"); curl_setopt_array($ch, [ CURLOPT_POST=>true, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER=>true, CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER=>["Content-Type: application/json"], CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS=>json_encode([ "api_key" => getenv("WCT_API_KEY"), "to" => $phone, "message" => "Your code is: {$otp}. Valid 5 mins." ]) ]); $r = json_decode(curl_exec($ch), true); curl_close($ch); return !empty($r['success']); }
Python Examples
Python
import os, requests
def send_sms(to: str, message: str) -> dict:
r = requests.post("https://sms.wilcybertek.com/api",
json={"api_key": os.environ["WCT_API_KEY"], "to": to, "message": message},
timeout=10)
r.raise_for_status()
return r.json()
result = send_sms("260977000000", "Payment confirmed!")
print("Queued:", result.get("id"))
JavaScript Examples
Node.js
// Server-side only — never expose key in browser const sendSMS = async (to, message) => { const r = await fetch("https://sms.wilcybertek.com/api", { method:"POST", headers:{"Content-Type":"application/json"}, body: JSON.stringify({api_key: process.env.WCT_API_KEY, to, message}) }); return r.json(); }; sendSMS("260977000000", "Order ready!").then(d => console.log(d));
cURL Examples
cURL
curl -X POST https://sms.wilcybertek.com/api \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"api_key":"YOUR_KEY","to":"260977000000","message":"Hello!"}'
READY TO BUILD?
Start Sending SMS in Minutes
Create your free developer account and connect to Zambia's fastest SMS gateway.