The verdict in three sentences
For a building materials merchant serving 1,500 professional construction customers, a B2B ecommerce platform costs roughly 9,000,000 to 16,000,000 FCFA (about EUR 13,720 to 24,390) in our 2026 West African benchmark; in Miami, expect US agency rates to multiply that by 3 to 4. The features that justify the investment are customer-specific pricing, credit limit and trade credit control, and jobsite delivery scheduling. Allow 4 months for the project and gradual adoption: 30 to 40% of orders online in year one is realistic.
Why the phone costs more than it seems
In a merchant selling cement, rebar, aggregates and hardware, the sales team spends its days taking orders, checking prices and calling customers back to confirm availability. Pricing errors and undetected credit overruns hit margin directly.
| Indicator (2026 order of magnitude) | Phone orders | With a B2B platform |
|---|---|---|
| Order-taking time | 8 to 12 min | 2 to 3 min (self-service) |
| Price or quantity errors | 4 to 6% of orders | Under 1% |
| Orders outside business hours | Lost or postponed | 15 to 25% of online volume |
| Credit check before approval | Manual, often skipped | Automatic, blocked above the limit |
| Delivery confirmation time | Half a day | Instant with jobsite slot |
| Sales staff tied to data entry | 4 to 6 people | 1 to 2, the rest prospecting |
With 1,500 customers, even 20% adoption frees several hundred sales hours per month.
What the platform includes and what each component costs
A consumer ecommerce site is not enough. A B2B merchant needs company accounts with several buyers, specific price lists and a solid link to accounting.
| Module | Function | 2026 estimated cost (FCFA) |
|---|---|---|
| Catalog and search | 2,000 to 5,000 SKUs, units (bag, ton, bar), stock per depot | 1,500,000 to 2,500,000 |
| Customer accounts and pricing | Discounts per customer, per family, negotiated job prices | 1,500,000 to 3,000,000 |
| Credit limits and trade credit | Limit, due dates, automatic block, online statement | 1,200,000 to 2,500,000 |
| Jobsite delivery | Site address, slot, truck, signed delivery note | 1,200,000 to 2,500,000 |
| Payment | Bank transfer, Wave, Orange Money, automatic reconciliation | 800,000 to 1,500,000 |
| ERP integration | Sage, Odoo or local software, stock and invoice sync | 1,800,000 to 4,000,000 |
| Total project | 9,000,000 to 16,000,000 |
Payment deserves special attention. Large customers pay by transfer at 30 or 60 days on trade credit, while small contractors prefer to pay upfront via Wave (merchant fee around 1% in Côte d'Ivoire) or Orange Money; in Miami the equivalent split is net-30 ACH versus card at about 2.9%. The platform must handle both logics smoothly. On the recurring side, plan hosting and maintenance of around 75,000 to 120,000 FCFA per month for a project of this size.
Typical 4-month plan
- Month 1: scoping, catalog import, pricing and credit rules with finance.
- Months 2 and 3: development, ERP connector, payment testing.
- Month 4: pilot with 50 to 100 loyal customers, sales team training, then gradual opening.
Mini case study
Carlos, sales director of a building materials merchant (1,500 construction customers, revenue equivalent to 12 billion FCFA), targets 30% of orders online within 12 months. Illustrative assumption, to be recalculated with real figures.
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- Pricing errors avoided: 4% errors on 30% of revenue online, with an average 1.5% loss per wrong order: 12 billion x 30% x 4% x 1.5% = 2,160,000 FCFA a year.
- Sales time freed: 3 sales reps moved to prospecting, about 10,800,000 FCFA of payroll redirected to selling rather than data entry.
- Bad debt reduced through credit blocking: 0.3% of online revenue, i.e. 10,800,000 FCFA a year.
- Investment: 13,000,000 FCFA + 1,200,000 FCFA annual maintenance.
The project pays back in 12 to 15 months in this scenario, mainly thanks to credit control.
FAQ
Will construction customers really order online?
Structured companies will, often 40 to 60% of them within 18 months. Small contractors stay on WhatsApp and phone, which is why a sales rep can enter orders for them in the same platform.
Can we keep Sage or Odoo as the main system?
Yes, the platform syncs with the ERP for stock, prices and invoices. This connector represents 20 to 25% of the total budget.
How is trade credit handled online?
Each customer account has a limit and due dates. Above the limit, the order goes to manual approval or requires immediate payment.
What are the mobile payment fees?
In 2026, Wave charges merchants about 1% in Côte d'Ivoire, Orange Money between 1 and 2% depending on the contract. On a 2,000,000 FCFA order, that is 20,000 to 40,000 FCFA.
Is the 4-month timeline realistic?
Yes if the catalog and price lists are clean at kickoff. A catalog that needs cleaning can add 3 to 6 weeks.
Let's scope your project. Share your SKU count, customer count and ERP for a precise estimate within the 9,000,000 to 16,000,000 FCFA range and 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.
