Loyalty without internet: why USSD remains an essential channel for African SMEs

Introduction

There is a reality that many players in the African digital space prefer to ignore: a large portion of your SME's customers do not own a smartphone. Or they do, but without an active data plan. Or the connection in their neighbourhood is too unstable to load an app.

And yet, these customers have a phone. And that phone can dial a USSD code.

That is precisely why, two months after forming a partnership with TEKKT (the company behind Zoelya) — a pan-African company based in Côte d'Ivoire specialising in USSD menu creation — we want to explain not only what this collaboration enables, but above all why it reflects the way Vertical Ascendant sees its role in the SME digital ecosystem.

USSD: a 30-year-old technology that is more relevant than ever

USSD — Unstructured Supplementary Service Data — is the technology that activates when you dial a code like *123# on your phone. No internet. No app. Just the basic mobile network, available on any phone, even the most basic handset.

In Europe or North America, USSD is seen as a technology of the past — replaced by apps, push notifications, and web interfaces. But in sub-Saharan Africa, it remains one of the most reliable channels to reach customers, regardless of their situation.

A few ground-level realities:

• Smartphone penetration is growing fast — but a significant share of the population still uses basic handsets. USSD works on every single one of them, no exceptions.
• Even where smartphones are widespread, data connectivity remains uneven. A customer who cannot load your app is not a lost customer — if they can dial a USSD code.
• USSD is instant. No loading time, no updates, no compatibility issues to manage. The menu appears within seconds, anywhere there is a network signal.

Ignoring this channel in the name of modernity means choosing not to speak to an entire segment of your customer base. That is not a decision an ambitious SME can afford to make.

Zoelya: build a USSD menu without any technical skills

Until recently, deploying a USSD menu required going through a telecom operator, negotiating a technical agreement, mobilising developers, and waiting weeks — sometimes months.

That is exactly the problem Zoelya solves.

Zoelya is a platform that allows any business to create, configure, and deploy its own USSD menus — without writing a single line of code. The interface is visual, the onboarding is fast, and deployment takes days rather than months.

In practice, an SME owner can now build a USSD menu that allows customers to:

• Get information about opening hours, promotions, and products
• Enrol in a programme or update their profile
• Complete simple actions without having to travel to the store

And since our collaboration, that menu can now include Otonum's loyalty features.

What it changes in practice for the end customer

Imagine a loyal customer at a shop that uses Otonum. They have accumulated points over their last few visits. They want to check their balance before getting to the register — but they have no internet connection at that moment.

With the Zoelya × Otonum integration, they dial a USSD code. Within seconds, a menu appears on their phone — no internet, no app, nothing other than their basic mobile network.

• They check their real-time points balance
• They verify their available cashback
• They generate a discount voucher to present at the register immediately

Vertical Ascendant's vision: open ecosystems, not closed silos

This partnership illustrates something fundamental about how we see our role.

We are not trying to build a platform that does everything — and forces you to do everything through it. That model has a name: customer lock-in. And it is not what we want for the SMEs we work with.

Our conviction is different: the best digital solutions for African SMEs will be those that know how to open up to others, integrate into existing ecosystems, and allow each business to compose its own technology stack with the best tools available.

Otonum handles loyalty and behavioural analytics. Zoelya handles USSD menu creation. Both are excellent in their domain. The integration between the two creates something neither could offer alone.

That is what we call an open ecosystem. And it is the model we will keep building — with Zoelya today, and with other partners tomorrow.

In closing

Innovation for African SMEs does not always look the way we imagine. It does not necessarily come through the latest trending technologies. It comes through solutions that work under the real conditions of your customers — with or without internet, on any phone, in any coverage area.

That is what this collaboration with Zoelya embodies. And that is the direction Vertical Ascendant will keep moving in.

If you run an SME and already use Zoelya for your USSD menus — or are considering it — the connection with Otonum is now available. Let's talk.