The verdict in three sentences
For a distributor serving 400 to 1,500 shops, a B2B ordering platform pays for itself in 6 to 18 months, mainly through faster collection and fewer order-entry errors. The budget ranges from 8,000,000 to 20,000,000 FCFA (about €12,200 to €30,500) depending on supplier credit, delivery rounds and integration with your management software. Payment through an aggregator (Wave, Orange Money, card) costs 1.5 to 3% per transaction, often less than the real cost of cash collected by drivers.
What the platform must cover for a distributor
Shopkeepers order on mobile, often in Wolof or simple French, over an unstable 3G connection. The app must therefore be a lightweight PWA that works offline, with an up-to-date catalog, per-customer prices and order history to reorder in two taps. On the distributor side, you need supplier credit (limit per shop, due dates), delivery round planning and collection tracking.
| Module | Essential tier | Complete tier | Integrated tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catalog, per-customer pricing, offline PWA | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Wave, Orange Money, card payment | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Supplier credit with limits and reminders | Basic | Full | Full + scoring |
| Field sales rep app | No | Yes | Yes |
| Delivery round planning | No | Yes | Automatic optimization |
| Management software sync (Sage, Odoo) | CSV export | Simple API | Real-time two-way |
| 2026 budget (order of magnitude) | 8,000,000 FCFA | 13,000,000 FCFA | 20,000,000 FCFA |
| Delivery time | 10 weeks | 14 weeks | 20 weeks |
Add hosting and maintenance, between 150,000 and 400,000 FCFA per month depending on tier and number of active shops.
Payment fees and the cost of cash: the real comparison
Many managing directors find 1.5 to 3% fees too expensive. They forget the cost of cash: driver time, till discrepancies, theft risk, bank deposits and delays. In the field, that cost represents 2 to 4% of the amount collected.
| Collection method | Direct fees | Estimated indirect cost | Collection delay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash collected by driver | 0% | 2 to 4% (discrepancies, time, security) | 1 to 3 days |
| Wave Business via aggregator | 1 to 2% | Low | Instant to D+1 |
| Orange Money via aggregator | 1.5 to 2.5% | Low | Instant to D+1 |
| Bank card (local aggregator) | 2.5 to 3% | Low | D+2 to D+3 |
| Bank transfer | 0.1 to 0.5% | Manual reconciliation | D+1 to D+3 |
| 30-day supplier credit | 0% | Financing cost 1% per month | 30 to 45 days |
The main gain comes from supplier credit. With automatic SMS and WhatsApp reminders and a Wave payment link at each due date, the distributors we support cut their average collection time by about 10 days.
Rollout: how to onboard the shops
Technology is only half the project. Plan a pilot with 50 to 100 shops in one neighborhood (Parcelles Assainies, Pikine or Guédiawaye, for example), trained by your sales reps. A 1% discount on orders placed through the app for 3 months speeds up adoption. Typically, 40 to 60% of active shops order online after 6 months.
Mini case study
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Moussa, managing director of a food distributor in Dakar, serves 900 shops with monthly revenue of 450,000,000 FCFA, 60% of it on 30-day credit. He chooses the Complete tier at 13,000,000 FCFA. Collection drops from 30 to 20 days on 270,000,000 FCFA of monthly credit: he frees up about 90,000,000 FCFA of cash. At a financing cost of 1% per month, savings reach 900,000 FCFA a month. Order errors fall from 6% to 2%, avoiding about 1,200,000 FCFA in returns and commercial gestures per month. Monthly gain: 2,100,000 FCFA, minus 300,000 FCFA of maintenance: 1,800,000 FCFA. Payback in just over 7 months, with payment fees offset by less cash handling.
FAQ
Will shopkeepers really order on mobile?
Yes, if the app works on 3G and offers two-tap reordering. Expect 40 to 60% adoption at 6 months, with a 1% launch discount for 3 months.
Do you need a license to collect via Wave and Orange Money?
No, a licensed aggregator (PayDunya, CinetPay, Intouch or direct merchant offers) carries BCEAO compliance. Opening the merchant account takes 1 to 3 weeks.
How is supplier credit managed in the platform?
Each shop has a limit and a due date, for example 500,000 FCFA at 15 days. Beyond that, the order requires immediate payment.
Can we connect our current management software?
Yes, Sage, Odoo or a local ERP via API or scheduled export. The connector costs 1,500,000 to 4,000,000 FCFA depending on the quality of the existing API.
How long until a working pilot?
A pilot with 50 shops is feasible in 8 to 10 weeks with the Essential tier, followed by gradual expansion.
Let's scope your project. We scope your B2B ordering platform (modules, number of shops, ERP integration) with an indicative budget of 8,000,000 to 20,000,000 FCFA and a pilot in 10 weeks. 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.
