The verdict in three sentences
After delivery, a web application costs 15 to 20% of its build price in maintenance every year, a line too many executives forget to budget. In Bamako in 2026, that's 1,500,000 to 4,000,000 FCFA/year for an app built at 20 million, hosting on top. Not maintaining costs more in the end: security holes, outages and technical debt that blow up the recovery bill.
Recurring items after delivery
Maintenance isn't a single line: it bundles fixes, enhancements, hosting and monitoring.
| Item | Annual cost (FCFA) | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Fixes (bugs, security) | 800,000 - 2,000,000 | ongoing |
| Minor enhancements | 500,000 - 1,500,000 | quarterly |
| Hosting + domain name | 200,000 - 800,000 | monthly/yearly |
| Backups + monitoring | 150,000 - 400,000 | ongoing |
| Dependency updates | 300,000 - 700,000 | half-yearly |
| User support | 400,000 - 1,200,000 | on demand |
For a 20,000,000 FCFA app, a full maintenance package sits around 3,000,000 to 4,000,000 FCFA/year, hosting included.
Package vs on-demand, and the cost of no maintenance
Two models compete, and the absence of maintenance has a very real hidden cost.
| Criterion | Annual package | On-demand |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cost | 15-20% of build | variable, unpredictable |
| Response time | guaranteed (SLA) | subject to availability |
| Security | continuous updates | reactive after incident |
| Budget | predictable | jagged |
| No-maintenance cost | - | recovery +40-60% of build |
An application left without maintenance accumulates technical debt: after 2-3 years, recovery often costs 40 to 60% of the initial build, not counting outage losses.
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Mini case study
Fatoumata, CEO of a services company in Bamako, had a management app built for 20,000,000 FCFA. She hesitates over a maintenance contract at 3,200,000 FCFA/year (16% of build). Without a contract, after 30 months with no security updates, a breach causes a 5-day outage and an emergency recovery billed at 9,000,000 FCFA (45% of build), plus lost revenue. With the package over 30 months: 8,000,000 FCFA of smoothed maintenance, zero major outage. The package saves her at least 1,000,000 FCFA and a major operational risk.
FAQ
How much does web app maintenance cost per year? Expect 15 to 20% of the build cost annually. For a 20-million FCFA app, that's 3 to 4 million FCFA/year, hosting included.
What is application maintenance (TMA)? Third-party application maintenance: a vendor handles fixes, enhancements and monitoring under contract, with guaranteed response times (SLA).
How much does hosting an application cost in Bamako in 2026? From 200,000 to 800,000 FCFA/year depending on traffic, storage and service level (backups, monitoring, redundancy).
Can you skip maintenance? Technically yes, but it's risky: security holes, incompatibilities and outages pile up. Recovery ends up costing 40 to 60% of the initial build.
Package or on-demand? The package gives a predictable budget and guaranteed times. On-demand looks cheaper but becomes unpredictable and slow in a critical incident.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your app's build cost and how critical it is: we'll propose a fitting maintenance package and SLA. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
