The verdict in three sentences
In Thiès, accountants, stock managers and administrative officers still spend a large part of their week copying, pasting and chasing, while no-code tools now connect Google Sheets, Gmail, forms and WhatsApp Business to AI. A well-chosen automation saves 5 to 10 hours a week, with free tools or tools at under 15,000 FCFA a month (2026 order of magnitude). The online course Automate your work with AI, without writing code, costs 100,000 FCFA (152 EUR / 165 USD) for 20 hours and can also lead to projects billed 150,000 to 500,000 FCFA to local SMEs.
Which tasks to automate first
The course starts with a mapping exercise: you do not automate everything, you pick what saves the most time for the least risk. Here are typical tasks in Thiès companies, with 2026 estimates for an administrative role.
| Repetitive task | Manual time per week | Time after automation | Hours saved | Tools used |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entering supplier invoices into a sheet | 3 h | 30 min of checking | 2.5 h | Form, Google Sheets, AI extraction |
| Chasing late-paying customers | 2 h | 15 min of approval | 1.75 h | Google Sheets, Gmail, Make |
| Drafting quotes from a request | 2.5 h | 30 min | 2 h | Google Docs template, Zapier |
| Stock level tracking and alerts | 1.5 h | 10 min | 1.3 h | Google Sheets, email or WhatsApp alert |
| Answering frequent customer questions | 3 h | 1 h (sensitive cases kept by a human) | 2 h | WhatsApp Business, AI assistant |
| Formatted meeting minutes | 1 h | 15 min | 0.75 h | Custom AI assistant |
| Indicative total | 13 h | 2.7 h | about 10 h |
Every scenario keeps human approval on sensitive sends and an execution log. The compliance module covers the rules of Senegal's law 2008-12 on personal data.
What the course and the tools cost
| Option | 2026 price | Duration or frequency | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kolonell Academy, level 4 Career "Automate your work with AI" | 100,000 FCFA (152 EUR / 165 USD) | 20 h online | 8 modules, portfolio of 8 automations, verifiable certificate |
| Full Artificial intelligence track (5 levels) | 350,000 FCFA instead of 450,000 | 5 courses | From discovering AI to the consultant job |
| In-person office or AI training in Dakar | 150,000 to 300,000 FCFA | 2 to 3 days | Plus a Thiès to Dakar return trip of 3,000 to 6,000 FCFA |
| Make or Zapier, free plan | 0 FCFA | Monthly | Enough to learn and for small volumes |
| Make or Zapier, entry paid plan | 6,000 to 13,000 FCFA a month | Monthly | Useful as volumes grow |
| Paid AI assistant plan | 10,000 to 15,000 FCFA a month | Monthly | Optional at first |
The Automate your work with AI, without writing code course covers custom assistants (GPTs, Claude Projects, Gems), batch processing in Google Sheets, Make and Zapier scenarios with filters and error handling, automatic document generation, customer intake on WhatsApp Business, AI agents and their guardrails, then documentation and maintenance. It is taught in French. You need a computer and a stable connection: these tools cannot be set up on a phone. The 100,000 FCFA fee is paid with Wave or Orange Money.
Selling automation to SMEs in Thiès
Once your own work is automated, the same skill can be sold. Amounts are 2026 market rates in Dakar and Thiès, excluding tool subscriptions, with no volume guarantee.
| Service | Billed price | Delivery time | Typical client in Thiès |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple automation (reminders, stock alerts) | 150,000 to 400,000 FCFA | 1 to 3 days | Hardware store, wholesaler, pharmacy |
| Full documented process (quote to invoice to reminder) | 400,000 to 1,000,000 FCFA | 1 to 3 weeks | Industrial SME, accounting firm |
| WhatsApp customer intake with AI | 200,000 to 500,000 FCFA | 3 to 7 days | Clinic, private school, hotel |
| Monthly maintenance | 25,000 to 75,000 FCFA a month | 1 to 3 h a month | Any equipped client |
Level 4 of the Artificial intelligence track assumes practice equivalent to level 3 (structured prompts, a first simple scenario). If you are a beginner, level 1 costs 25,000 FCFA for 5 hours, level 2 50,000 FCFA for 10 hours and level 3 75,000 FCFA for 12 hours.
Mini case study
Learn this skill with Kolonell Academy
Short, practical online courses (taught in French), graded exercises, certificate. Pay with Wave or Orange Money.
Moussa, 34, an accountant at a building materials distributor in Thiès, spends about 9 hours a week on invoice entry, reminders and stock sheets. He takes level 4 for 100,000 FCFA, paid with Orange Money, at 4 hours a week for 5 weeks.
Cautious assumption: he automates reminders and invoice entry and wins back 5 hours a week, about 20 hours a month. Regular reminders also bring payments in faster. In parallel, he offers a reminder automation to a hardware store at the central market for 200,000 FCFA, plus 30,000 FCFA of monthly maintenance. That single project pays for the course twice over. These figures are a simulation, not a promise.
FAQ
Do I need to know how to program to automate with AI?
No, no programming skill is required. Knowing how to fill in a Google form and build a table is enough; level 3 of the track or equivalent prompting practice is recommended.
How much do the tools cost after the course?
The free Make and Zapier plans are enough to learn and for small volumes. Allow 6,000 to 15,000 FCFA a month as volumes grow.
Can I follow the course on my phone?
Lessons can be read on a phone, but the exercises require a computer and a stable connection. Make and Zapier cannot be set up properly on mobile.
How many hours can I really save?
As an order of magnitude, 5 to 10 hours a week depending on your volume of repetitive tasks. The first module has you measure this gain before building anything.
How do I pay and what do I get at the end?
100,000 FCFA with Wave or Orange Money. You leave with a fully automated process, a portfolio of 8 automations and an online verifiable certificate.
Take the next step. Enroll in Automate your work with AI, without writing code: 20 hours, level 4 Career, 100,000 FCFA (152 EUR / 165 USD), online verifiable certificate, taught in French. Pay with Wave or Orange Money. Questions? 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.
