This paper presents the ongoing development of a community based, self-management system for diabetes mellitus, which incorporates web-based, SMS and mobile-terminal functionalities. SMS represents the first stage of our system development as it is widely available on all mobile phones, convenient and becoming increasingly popular. We discuss past findings and the need for such a system, as well as design, implementation and system architecture. Poor self-management of diabetes is associated with progression into more complex health issues, manifesting as a significant public health burden and impacting negatively on an individual's quality of life. This approach recognizes that telehealth systems will play an increasingly pertinent role in health systems worldwide.