The verdict in three sentences
A B2B auto parts marketplace in Casablanca costs 350,000 to 700,000 MAD excl. tax (about 32,000 to 64,000 EUR) to build in 2026, with the gap driven mainly by the quality of licence plate or OE number search. With a 6 to 12% commission, break-even sits around 1.2 million MAD of monthly volume, roughly 2,700 garage orders. The real challenge is not technical: it is onboarding enough distributors so a mechanic finds the part in under 30 seconds.
Build budget line by line
| Module | Scope | 2026 budget (MAD excl. tax) |
|---|---|---|
| Catalogue and vehicle fitment | TecDoc or equivalent data, OE numbers, cross-references | 70,000 to 160,000 |
| Licence plate or VIN search | Decoding, filter by model and engine | 40,000 to 90,000 |
| Distributor portal | Stock import, net prices, order management | 50,000 to 100,000 |
| Garage portal | Multi-user accounts, history, favourites | 30,000 to 60,000 |
| CMI card, cash on delivery, customer account | Payment split, payouts | 50,000 to 110,000 |
| Express urban logistics | Pickup at distributor, delivery in 2 to 4 h | 40,000 to 90,000 |
| Back office and disputes | Returns, wrong parts, seller ratings | 30,000 to 60,000 |
| Mobile app (PWA), optional | Ordering from the workshop, part number scan | 30,000 to 40,000 |
A solid launch version costs around 420,000 MAD excl. tax. The fitment data subscription (roughly 6,000 to 15,000 MAD a month) is often left out of budgets, yet it is essential.
Commissions and revenue model
The commission depends on margins per part family. Filters and brake pads leave distributors 25 to 35% margin; engine parts and tyres much less.
| Part family | Distributor margin (rough benchmark) | Recommended platform commission |
|---|---|---|
| Filtration, braking | 25 to 35% | 10 to 12% |
| Lighting, accessories | 30 to 40% | 12% |
| Clutch, timing | 18 to 25% | 8 to 10% |
| Engine parts | 12 to 18% | 6 to 8% |
| Tyres | 8 to 12% | 6% |
| Lubricants | 10 to 15% | 6 to 7% |
Two more revenue streams sit on top: a premium distributor subscription (500 to 1,500 MAD a month for better visibility and analytics) and express delivery fees charged to garages (25 to 45 MAD within the city).
Break-even calculation
Monthly fixed costs for a Casablanca platform at cruising speed are around 110,000 MAD: a 4-person team (operations, support, field sales), catalogue data, hosting and maintenance, and marketing to garages. With an average 9% commission, you need about 1.2 million MAD of monthly volume. At an average garage basket of 450 MAD, that means 2,700 orders a month, less than one order per registered garage if 3,000 are active.
Mini case study
Karim, an entrepreneur in Casablanca, invests 450,000 MAD excl. tax in the platform and onboards 60 distributors and 900 garages in year one. By month 12 he processes 3,200 orders at 450 MAD, i.e. 1,440,000 MAD of volume. The 9% average commission brings 129,600 MAD, plus 25 premium subscriptions at 900 MAD (22,500 MAD). With 110,000 MAD of fixed costs, monthly profit reaches 42,100 MAD. The initial investment would pay back in just under 11 months at cruising speed (estimate, excluding growth financing).
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FAQ
How much does an auto parts marketplace in Casablanca cost in 2026?
Between 350,000 and 700,000 MAD excl. tax depending on catalogue depth and built-in logistics. Budget 6,000 to 15,000 MAD a month for vehicle fitment data.
What commission should distributors pay?
On average 6 to 12% depending on the part family. A flat 10% drives away tyre and engine part distributors, whose margins are too thin.
How do we handle cash on delivery?
The driver collects cash or by card terminal, then the platform pays the distributor within 7 days, commission deducted. CMI card payment suits structured garages ordering more than 20,000 MAD a month.
How long does launch take?
Plan 4 to 6 months of development, plus 2 to 3 months to onboard the first 50 distributors. Launching with fewer than 30 distributors leaves over 25% of searched parts unavailable.
Do we need our own delivery fleet?
Not at first. A partnership with an urban delivery provider at 25 to 35 MAD per run works up to about 150 deliveries a day.
Let's scope your project. Tell us about your distributor network and delivery zones and we will price your B2B marketplace, from 350,000 to 700,000 MAD excl. tax, with a 4 to 6 month plan and a realistic commission model. 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.
