# Africa's Talking MCP by usefulapi (remote · africas-talking.usefulapi.io)

Read Africa's Talking balance, incoming SMS, transactions; send SMS, airtime, data and voice calls.

- Trust score: 62/100 (medium)
- Registry status: active
- Liveness: live
- Owner verified: no
- Last scored: 2026-10-25

## Components

- remote · `africas-talking.usefulapi.io`: 62/100 (this document), [markdown](https://verifymcp.io/servers/io-usefulapi-africas-talking/africas-talking.md), [page](https://verifymcp.io/servers/io-usefulapi-africas-talking/africas-talking)

## Channel facts

- Endpoint: `https://africas-talking.usefulapi.io/mcp`
- Transports: `streamable-http`
- Auth: `required`
- Version: `1.0.3`

## Trust breakdown

How this component scores in each security and reliability category. Every signal is checked automatically against the live server, and we only credit what we can confirm. Scores are 0–100 per category. Scoring method: https://verifymcp.io/docs/scoring (what has changed: https://verifymcp.io/docs/scoring/changelog)

Scored 2026-10-25.

- **Endpoint Security**: 78/100
  - The endpoint's TLS certificate is valid, in date, and uses a strong key.
  - Authorisation is enforced on tool calls, advertised via RFC 9728 protected-resource metadata. Discovery is public, which costs nothing: no tool can be invoked without a token.
  - HTTPS enforcement could not be verified: the plaintext port redirected somewhere other than https, so enforcement is unproven.
  - HSTS check failed: the Strict-Transport-Security header is absent.
  - DNSSEC check failed: this domain isn't protected by DNSSEC.
  - The authorisation server offers only Dynamic Client Registration (RFC 7591), which MCP 2026-07-28 deprecated in favour of Client ID Metadata Documents.
- **Transport & Reachability**: 0/100
  - Transport check failed: declared streamable-http, but the endpoint redirected instead of responding directly.
- **Schema Quality & AI Usability**: 80/100
  - 100% of prompts and resources have a non-trivial description (not blank, and not just the item's name).
  - AI-judged instruction clarity (good).
  - Context-footprint check failed: tool/resource definitions use about 1523 tokens (~152/item across 10 items; 10 tools + 0 resources), over budget; trim descriptions and params.
  - Usage-examples check failed: none of the tools include examples.
- **Stability & Change Management**: 3/100
  - Stability observed for 1 of 30 days with no destabilising changes; credit accrues until the full window elapses.
- **Tool Coverage**: 97/100
  - 100% of tools have a non-trivial description (not blank, and not just the tool's name).
  - 91% of tool parameters carry a description.
- **Tool Safety**: 100/100
  - No prompt-injection markers were found in the server instructions, tool names or descriptions we captured.
  - All 3 tool(s) whose name or description implies an irreversible operation declare an MCP destructiveHint annotation.
  - An AI judge read all 11 captured unit(s) of tool text and found none that tries to manipulate the model reading it.
- **Capabilities**: 60/100
  - Spec-recency check failed: implements MCP spec 2025-06-18; the latest is 2026-07-28.

## Install

### How do I install the Africa's Talking MCP by usefulapi server?

Africa's Talking MCP by usefulapi is a hosted endpoint at https://africas-talking.usefulapi.io/mcp, so there is nothing to install locally. Ready-made configuration for Claude, Cursor, VS Code, Codex and 5 more is on this page, copied from each client's own documentation.

### Claude

```bash
claude mcp add --transport http io-usefulapi-africas-talking 'https://africas-talking.usefulapi.io/mcp'
```

### Cursor

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "io-usefulapi-africas-talking": {
      "url": "https://africas-talking.usefulapi.io/mcp"
    }
  }
}
```

### VS Code

```json
{
  "servers": {
    "io-usefulapi-africas-talking": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://africas-talking.usefulapi.io/mcp"
    }
  }
}
```

### Codex

```toml
[mcp_servers.io-usefulapi-africas-talking]
url = "https://africas-talking.usefulapi.io/mcp"
```

### opencode

```json
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "mcp": {
    "io-usefulapi-africas-talking": {
      "type": "remote",
      "url": "https://africas-talking.usefulapi.io/mcp",
      "enabled": true
    }
  }
}
```

### OpenClaw

```bash
openclaw mcp add io-usefulapi-africas-talking --url 'https://africas-talking.usefulapi.io/mcp' --transport streamable-http
```

### Hermes

```yaml
mcp_servers:
  io-usefulapi-africas-talking:
    url: "https://africas-talking.usefulapi.io/mcp"
```

### Netclaw

```json
{
  "McpServers": {
    "io-usefulapi-africas-talking": {
      "Transport": "http",
      "Url": "https://africas-talking.usefulapi.io/mcp"
    }
  }
}
```

### Vellum

```bash
assistant mcp add io-usefulapi-africas-talking -t streamable-http -u 'https://africas-talking.usefulapi.io/mcp'
```

### Other

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "io-usefulapi-africas-talking": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://africas-talking.usefulapi.io/mcp"
    }
  }
}
```

The mcpServers block is a cross-client convention. Remote transports vary, so check your client's docs.

## Changelog

Every change recorded for this component, newest first. Days that predate change tracking, or that we cannot explain, say so: "we were watching and nothing happened" and "we were not watching" are different claims.

### 2026-10-25 (score 62, 0)

- [functional improvement] Stability: unverified → 0.03
- [functional] Server version: 1.0.0 → 1.0.3

### 2026-10-24 (score 62)

First indexed and scored.

## MCP tools (10)

### `africastalking_get_balance` (~53 tokens)

Get account balance

The Africa's Talking app balance (SMS/airtime wallet), e.g. {"balance": "KES 1250.0000"}. The sandbox app has no balance. GET /version1/user.

### `africastalking_fetch_messages` (~179 tokens)

Fetch received SMS

Fetch incoming SMS received on your shortcodes/numbers, oldest first, in batches (default 25 per call). Pass last_received_id (0 for the first call, then `next_last_received_id` from the previous reply) to move through them; `has_more` stays true while a call returns messages, so keep calling until `count` is 0. Optional shortcode and keyword filters. GET /version1/messaging.

Input parameters:

- `keyword` (string): Only messages that start with this keyword.
- `last_received_id` (integer): Id of the last message already read (default 0 = from the start).
- `limit` (integer): Most messages to return per call (default 25); `has_more` says if more are waiting.
- `short_code` (string): Only messages sent to this shortcode / number.

### `africastalking_send_sms` (~208 tokens)

Send SMS

WRITE: send one text message to up to 100 phone numbers. Spends account credit and delivers to real phones (the sandbox app only reaches the simulator). Needs confirm=true after the user approved the recipients and text. Returns the vendor's per-recipient status (statusCode 101 = sent), message ids and cost. Never retried. POST /version1/messaging.

Input parameters:

- `confirm` (boolean, required): Must be true. Set it only after the user has explicitly approved this exact send (recipients, text/amount); it spends account credit.
- `message` (string, required): The SMS text (1-1600 characters; long texts are split into several billed parts).
- `sender_id` (string): Approved alphanumeric sender ID, shortcode or long-code number (e.g. +27... in South Africa); omit to use the account default.
- `to` (array, required): Recipients in international format, e.g. +254711000000 (max 100).

### `africastalking_send_airtime` (~187 tokens)

Send airtime

WRITE: top up mobile airtime for up to 25 phone numbers. Spends account credit immediately and cannot be reversed. Needs confirm=true after the user approved each number and amount. Amounts are in the given ISO currency (e.g. KES, UGX, TZS). Pass an idempotency_key to make a retry safe. Returns per-number status and requestId (use africastalking_find_airtime_transaction to follow up). POST /version1/airtime/send.

Input parameters:

- `confirm` (boolean, required): Must be true. Set it only after the user has explicitly approved this exact send (recipients, text/amount); it spends account credit.
- `idempotency_key` (string): Optional unique key (8-100 chars) for this send; the same key makes Africa's Talking ignore a duplicate request.
- `recipients` (array, required)

### `africastalking_find_airtime_transaction` (~70 tokens)

Find airtime transaction

Look up an airtime transaction by its transaction id (the requestId / ATPid_... from a send reply): status, amount, destination and discount. GET /query/transaction/find.

Input parameters:

- `transaction_id` (string, required): The transaction id, e.g. ATPid_...

### `africastalking_send_mobile_data` (~201 tokens)

Send mobile data bundle

WRITE: send mobile data bundles to up to 25 phone numbers from your Africa's Talking data wallet. Spends wallet credit and cannot be reversed. Needs confirm=true after the user approved each number and bundle. product_name is your data product (created in the Africa's Talking dashboard). Pass an idempotency_key to make a retry safe. Returns per-number status and transactionId (see africastalking_find_mobile_data_transaction). POST bundles /mobile/data/request.

Input parameters:

- `confirm` (boolean, required): Must be true. Set it only after the user has explicitly approved this exact send (recipients, text/amount); it spends account credit.
- `idempotency_key` (string): Optional unique key (8-100 chars) for this send; the same key makes Africa's Talking ignore a duplicate request.
- `product_name` (string, required): Name of your mobile data product in the Africa's Talking dashboard.
- `recipients` (array, required)

### `africastalking_find_mobile_data_transaction` (~58 tokens)

Find mobile data transaction

Look up a mobile data transaction by its transactionId (from a send reply): status, product, destination and cost. GET bundles /query/transaction/find.

Input parameters:

- `transaction_id` (string, required): The mobile data transactionId.

### `africastalking_get_mobile_data_wallet_balance` (~52 tokens)

Get mobile data wallet balance

The balance of the mobile data wallet, e.g. {"status": "Success", "balance": "KES 500.0000"}. GET bundles /query/wallet/balance.

### `africastalking_make_voice_call` (~187 tokens)

Make voice call

WRITE: place an outbound voice call from one of your Africa's Talking numbers to up to 10 phone numbers. The call is billed and rings real phones; what is said is decided by the voice callback URL configured for the number in the dashboard. Needs confirm=true after the user approved the numbers. Live apps only (the sandbox has no voice service). Returns a per-number queue status. POST voice /call.

Input parameters:

- `call_from` (string, required): Your Africa's Talking voice number to call from (international format).
- `call_to` (array, required): Numbers to call (max 10).
- `client_request_id` (string): Optional label passed back to your voice callback URL as clientRequestId.
- `confirm` (boolean, required): Must be true. Set it only after the user has explicitly approved this exact send (recipients, text/amount); it spends account credit.

### `africastalking_get_voice_queue_status` (~59 tokens)

Get voice queue status

Number of outbound calls currently queued on each of your voice numbers. Live apps only. POST voice /queueStatus (a read: nothing is changed).

Input parameters:

- `phone_numbers` (array, required): Your Africa's Talking voice numbers to check.

## Diagnostics

Captured diagnostic sections: TLS, DNSSEC, Authorisation, Transports. The full working is on the page: https://verifymcp.io/servers/io-usefulapi-africas-talking/africas-talking#diagnostics

## Score history

- 2026-10-25: 62
- 2026-10-24: 62

## Common questions

### What is the Africa's Talking MCP by usefulapi server?

Africa's Talking MCP by usefulapi is listed in the public MCP registry as io.usefulapi/africas-talking. Read Africa's Talking balance, incoming SMS, transactions; send SMS, airtime, data and voice calls. This page covers its hosted endpoint (https://africas-talking.usefulapi.io/mcp).

### Is the Africa's Talking MCP by usefulapi server safe to use?

Africa's Talking MCP by usefulapi scores 62 out of 100 on VerifyMCP. That is a record of what we were able to check automatically, not an endorsement. The category breakdown on this page shows every signal behind the number, including the ones we could not confirm.

### What tools does the Africa's Talking MCP by usefulapi server expose?

Africa's Talking MCP by usefulapi exposes 10 tools: africastalking_get_balance, africastalking_fetch_messages, africastalking_send_sms, africastalking_send_airtime, africastalking_find_airtime_transaction, and 5 more. Their descriptions and schemas cost roughly 1,254 tokens of context every time the server is loaded.

### Does the Africa's Talking MCP by usefulapi server require authentication?

Yes. Africa's Talking MCP by usefulapi asked us for credentials when we connected, so you will need to authorise it in your MCP client before it can do anything.

### Is the Africa's Talking MCP by usefulapi server still maintained?

Africa's Talking MCP by usefulapi is still listed as active in the MCP registry. We last reached this channel on 25 October 2026. Those dates come from our own scans of the registry and the channel itself, not from anything the publisher announced.

## Links

- Remote endpoint: https://africas-talking.usefulapi.io/mcp
- Repository: https://github.com/m190/usefulapi-mcp
- Website: https://usefulapi.io/africas-talking/
- Changelog RSS feed: https://verifymcp.io/servers/io-usefulapi-africas-talking/africas-talking.xml
- Changelog JSON feed: https://verifymcp.io/servers/io-usefulapi-africas-talking/africas-talking.json
- HTML version of this page: https://verifymcp.io/servers/io-usefulapi-africas-talking/africas-talking