Well now it appears the Google guys have delivered a new service to users in Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria in the form of Gmail SMS that enables users to send and receive their emails by way of the SMS feature on their device regardless of whether the users handset has an internet connection.

According to The Next Web by way of the Official Google Africa Blog, Gmail SMS means access to the internet isn’t necessary, and thus you don’t require a smartphone with WiFi or 3G capabilities.

So basically as long as the user has a basic mobile phone with voice and SMS, the user can shoot off their emails via text message by activating a setting on their Gmail account, although only in the above countries. For emerging markets that don’t have the large uptake of Android or the iPhone like the western world, Gmail SMS should come in pretty handy.

Apparently when using the new feature, Gmail SMS forwards a users emails automatically as an SMS message to your handset, and the user can then reply directly to the message.

The production manager of emerging markets for Google, Geva Rechav says, “You can control the emails received by replying with commands such as MORE, PAUSE and RESUME. Additionally, compose a new email as an SMS and send to any email address recipient – who will find your message in the right email conversation thread!”

Receiving Gmail SMS is free, and standard SMS rates apply when replying to messages, creating new messages, and sending Gmail SMS commands from your handset.

Apparently it is unclear whether other markets will gain Gmail SMS, but is does seem likely that other emerging markets will eventually gain the new service.