Tanzania, Uganda and Malawi now have Gmail SMS chat functionality. The Gmail SMS functionality enables worldwide communication with fellow Gtalk chat users ? even if they’re away from their computer. Gmail users can send and receive SMS messages for free, while non-Gmail users must pay normal texting charges.
The mobile carriers providing the service include MTN, Uganda Telecom and Orange in Uganda, Vodacom in Tanzania and Airtel and TNM in Malawi, per a recent Google Africa blog.
