The verdict in three sentences
In Abidjan, Lagos or Accra, a building materials merchant serving 800 business customers (contractors, developers, tradespeople) still handles most quotes over WhatsApp and phone, with response times of 24 to 72 hours. A B2B e-commerce platform with online quotes, volume pricing, 30-day terms for approved accounts and scheduled site delivery costs between 12 and 28 million FCFA (about USD 20,000 to 47,000) and ships in 4 months. The first gain is speed: a quote in 2 minutes instead of 2 days, so fewer jobs lost to a competitor.
Must-have B2B features
Selling cement, rebar, tiles or roofing sheets is nothing like selling clothes. Quantities are large, prices depend on volume and customer, and delivery must land on site at the right moment, whether in Lekki, Ikeja, Cocody or Yopougon.
| Feature | Value for the merchant | Indicative cost (FCFA) | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technical catalog (3,000 SKUs) | Pages with dimensions, standards, pack sizes | 1,500,000 to 3,000,000 | Essential |
| Instant online quote as PDF | Answer in 2 minutes, customer approval | 1,500,000 to 3,500,000 | Essential |
| Volume and customer pricing | Breaks (pallet, truckload), negotiated discounts | 2,000,000 to 4,500,000 | Essential |
| Approved account and 30-day terms | Credit limit, finance team approval | 1,500,000 to 3,500,000 | Essential |
| Mobile money, card, bank transfer | Deposit or immediate payment | 800,000 to 2,000,000 | Essential |
| Scheduled site delivery | Time slot, geolocation, fees by zone and tonnage | 2,000,000 to 5,000,000 | High |
| Sync with sales management software | Live stock and prices, automatic invoices | 2,000,000 to 5,500,000 | High |
| Driver app and signed delivery note | Proof of delivery, photo, signature | 700,000 to 1,000,000 | Useful |
Three budget levels
| Level | Budget (FCFA) | Scope | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essential | 12,000,000 to 16,000,000 (USD 20,000 to 27,000) | Catalog, online quotes, mobile money, customer accounts | 3 months |
| Pro | 17,000,000 to 22,000,000 (USD 28,000 to 37,000) | Plus volume pricing, 30-day credit, scheduled delivery | 4 months |
| Complete | 23,000,000 to 28,000,000 (USD 38,000 to 47,000) | Plus ERP sync, driver app, sales dashboard | 4 to 5 months |
| Hosting and maintenance | 150,000 to 400,000 per month | Servers, backups, updates, support | Recurring |
These amounts are 2026 orders of magnitude for development carried out in West Africa. The Pro level covers the needs of most mid-sized merchants. In Lagos, payment rails change (Paystack, Flutterwave, bank transfer instead of Wave), but the scope and cost structure are comparable.
Payments and customer credit: the tricky part
30-day terms are standard in West African construction, but they create non-payment risk. The platform must therefore check credit before confirming an order, request a deposit via mobile money from non-approved customers (often 30 to 50%) and send automatic SMS and WhatsApp reminders at the due date. Wave Business fees stay around 1% per collection in francophone markets, well below bank cards (2.5 to 3.5%); in Nigeria, local gateways charge around 1.5% with caps on large amounts.
Mini case study
Mr Kouassi, director of a building materials merchant in Abidjan, serves 800 companies and issues about 600 quotes per month, 35% of which convert to orders. With a 48-hour response time, he estimates losing 1 quote in 5 to faster competitors. If the platform lifts conversion from 35% to 42%, that means 42 extra orders per month. With an average basket of 1,800,000 FCFA and a 12% gross margin, the gain reaches about 9,000,000 FCFA in margin per month (around USD 15,000). A Pro project at 20,000,000 FCFA pays back in roughly 3 months.
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FAQ
Will construction customers really order on a website?
Site managers already use WhatsApp and mobile money every day. If the quote lands on their phone in 2 minutes, we see 25 to 40% of quotes placed online in the first year.
Can mobile money handle large amounts?
Yes, merchant accounts have much higher limits than personal accounts. For orders above 10,000,000 FCFA, bank transfer is often preferred and the platform handles it too.
How do 30-day terms work?
An approved customer has a credit limit, for example 15,000,000 FCFA, set by your finance team. Orders go through without immediate payment while the balance stays below that limit, then an invoice is issued due in 30 days.
How do you price site delivery?
By combining zone and tonnage. A typical grid runs from 25,000 FCFA for a small city truck to over 300,000 FCFA for a semi-trailer to a distant port town.
How long until launch?
Allow 4 months for the Pro level, including 3 to 4 weeks to load 3,000 SKUs. A pilot with 50 loyal customers lets you fix issues before opening to everyone.
Let's scope your project. Send us your number of customers, SKUs and delivery zones: we will price the right level in FCFA or USD with a 4-month plan. 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.
