This guide walks you through connecting your Africa’s Talking account to Modulaw so you can place outbound voice calls directly from the platform — no coding required.
Once connected, you can call clients from their case record, enable call recording, and even receive incoming calls in your browser. Your Africa’s Talking account is billed directly — Modulaw never holds your credit.
How It Works
Modulaw connects to your Africa’s Talking account using your username and API key — the same credentials you generate from the Africa’s Talking dashboard. There’s no webhook to configure or code to write. You simply paste your credentials into the Modulaw integration form, and the platform handles the rest.
| What You Do | What Modulaw Does |
|---|---|
| Sign up on Africa’s Talking | — |
| Submit compliance documents | — |
| Obtain an approved number or short code | — |
| Generate your API key | — |
| Paste credentials into Modulaw | Stores them encrypted, places calls on your behalf |
Phase 1 — Sign Up on Africa’s Talking
Before connecting to Modulaw, you need an active Africa’s Talking account.
- Go to the Africa’s Talking website: Visit account.africastalking.com and click “Register.”
- Create your account: Enter your name, email address, and password. Africa’s Talking will send a verification email — click the link to activate your account.
- Choose your account type: For production use, you’ll want a Production account (not Sandbox). Sandbox is great for testing, but real calls require production access.
- Complete your profile: Fill in your organisation name, country, and contact details. This information is used during the compliance review.
💡 Tip: Use your work email and enter your firm or company name as the organisation. This makes the compliance process smoother.
Phase 2 — Submit Compliance Documents
Africa’s Talking is a licensed telecom aggregator, which means they’re required to verify your identity and business before granting production access. This is a one-time process.
What You’ll Need
| Document | Why It’s Needed |
|---|---|
| Business registration certificate (CAC, RC number, or equivalent) | Proves your organisation is legally registered |
| Director / owner ID (national ID, passport, or driver’s licence) | Verifies the person behind the account |
| Letter of introduction on company letterhead | Formal request for production access |
| Recent utility bill (office address proof) | Confirms your business address |
How to Submit
- Log in to your Africa’s Talking dashboard.
- Navigate to Settings → Compliance (or Go Live, depending on your dashboard version).
- Upload each document in the required section.
- Submit for review.
Review typically takes 24–72 hours. You’ll receive an email notification once your account is approved for production. Until then, you can explore the Sandbox environment to familiarise yourself with the platform.
💡 Tip: Make sure your documents are clear, legible, and current. Blurry scans or expired IDs are the most common reason for delays.
Phase 3 — Obtain a Number or Short Code
To place and receive calls, you need a phone number or short code registered on your Africa’s Talking account. This will serve as your Caller ID in Modulaw.
Your Options
| Type | Best For | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|
| Virtual number (e.g., +234 1 XXX XXXX) | Professional appearance, receiving incoming calls | Fast — often available immediately after compliance approval |
| Short code (e.g., 22334) | High-volume operations, SMS campaigns | Longer — requires telecom operator approval (1–4 weeks) |
| Alphanumeric sender ID (e.g., “FIRMNAME”) | SMS only (does not support voice calls) | Fast — registered during compliance |
For voice calls in Modulaw, you’ll want either a virtual number or an approved short code. If you only need outbound calls, a virtual number is the quickest path.
How to Get One
- In the Africa’s Talking dashboard, go to Voice → Numbers or SMS → Sender IDs.
- Request a number or short code for your country.
- Africa’s Talking will provision it after confirming your compliance documents are approved.
- Note down the number — you’ll paste it into Modulaw as your Caller ID.
Phase 4 — Generate Your API Key
Your API key is what Modulaw uses to connect to your Africa’s Talking account. Here’s how to get it:
- Log in to the Africa’s Talking dashboard.
- Go to Settings → API Key.
- If you’re in Sandbox, switch to Production mode (top of the dashboard).
- Click “Generate API Key.”
- Copy the key — it starts with
atsk_.
⚠️ Important: Your API key is shown only once. Save it somewhere secure immediately. If you lose it, you’ll need to regenerate a new one, which invalidates the old key.
Phase 5 — Connect in Modulaw
Now that you have your Africa’s Talking username, API key, and approved number, you’re ready to connect.
Step 1 — Open the Integration
In Modulaw, go to Settings → Integrations → Africa’s Talking (Voice). You’ll see a form like this:
Step 2 — Fill in Your Credentials
| Field | What to Enter |
|---|---|
| Username | Your Africa’s Talking account username (the one you registered with) |
| API key | The key you generated in Phase 4 (starts with atsk_). Stored encrypted. |
| Caller ID | Your AT-approved short code or phone number (e.g., +234XXXXXXXXXX) |
Step 3 — Choose Your Options
Two toggle switches let you control how calls behave:
| Option | What It Does | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Enable call recording | When on, browser-initiated calls play a recording-disclosure preamble to the called party before connecting, then capture audio. Many jurisdictions require explicit consent — only enable this if you’re compliant. | Off |
| Ring incoming calls in the browser | When on, calls to your AT number ring this user’s WebRTC client (the one who connected the integration). When off, the caller hears a greeting and the line drops. | Off |
💡 Tip: Start with both toggles off. Test outbound calls first. Enable recording and incoming-call ringing once you’ve confirmed everything works.
Step 4 — Test & Connect
- Click “Test credentials.” Modulaw will verify that your username and API key are valid and that your Caller ID is recognised.
- If the test passes, click “Connect.”
- You’re live! You can now place calls from any client record in Modulaw.
If the test fails, double-check that you’re using your production API key (not sandbox), and that your Caller ID matches exactly what’s registered on your AT account.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| “Test credentials” fails | Using sandbox API key instead of production | Switch to production mode in the AT dashboard and generate a new key |
| Calls don’t connect | Caller ID not approved or not provisioned on your AT account | Confirm your number is active under Voice → Numbers in the AT dashboard |
| Recording preamble doesn’t play | Call recording toggle is off | Enable it in Settings → Integrations → Africa’s Talking |
| Incoming calls don’t ring | “Ring incoming calls in browser” is off, or WebRTC client not connected | Toggle it on and make sure you’re logged in to Modulaw in your browser |
| “Insufficient credit” error | Your AT account has no airtime balance | Top up your Africa’s Talking wallet — Modulaw never holds your credit |
Good to Know
- Your AT account is billed directly. Modulaw never holds or intermediates your credit. If you run out of airtime on AT, calls will fail until you top up.
- Credentials are encrypted. Your API key is stored encrypted in Modulaw and is never shared or exposed.
- One integration per user. The WebRTC client (for incoming calls) is tied to the user who connected the integration. If a colleague needs incoming calls, they’ll need to connect their own AT credentials.
- Recording consent is your responsibility. The recording toggle includes a disclosure preamble, but you must ensure you’re compliant with local call-recording laws in your jurisdiction.
- You can disconnect anytime. Go to Settings → Integrations → Africa’s Talking and click “Disconnect.” Your AT account remains active — only the Modulaw link is removed.
Need Help?
- In-app chat: Click the help icon (💬) in the bottom-right corner of any page.
- Email: Reach us at support@modulaw.ai
- Africa’s Talking support: For account, compliance, or number-related issues, contact help.africastalking.com
Last updated: 31 August 2026.