The verdict in three sentences
A mobile B2B ordering portal costs between 10 and 25 million FCFA (about EUR 15,000 to 38,000) excluding tax in 2026, for distributors in Accra, Abidjan and the wider region, depending on how deeply it integrates with your sales system. For a distributor serving 1,200 shops, it handles 35% of orders without a sales rep, raises the average basket by about 12% and cuts ordering errors by a factor of 4. Payback comes in under 12 months if per-customer pricing and credit limits are handled from version one.
What a B2B ordering portal includes, and what it costs
Shopkeepers in Accra or Abidjan order from entry-level Android phones, often on patchy 3G or 4G. The portal must therefore be a lightweight web app (PWA), usable offline to browse the catalogue, with login by phone number and OTP code.
| Module | Essential version | Advanced version |
|---|---|---|
| Offline mobile catalogue (PWA), 800 to 2,000 SKUs | 2,500,000 FCFA | 4,000,000 FCFA |
| Per-customer and per-zone pricing, volume discounts | 1,500,000 FCFA | 3,500,000 FCFA |
| Credit limit, outstanding balance, automatic block | 1,500,000 FCFA | 3,000,000 FCFA |
| Mobile money payment (Wave, Orange Money, MTN MoMo) | 1,000,000 FCFA | 2,500,000 FCFA |
| Delivery tracking and photo proof of delivery | 1,200,000 FCFA | 3,000,000 FCFA |
| Sales system connector (Sage, Odoo) | 1,300,000 FCFA | 5,000,000 FCFA |
| Back office, dashboards, training | 1,000,000 FCFA | 4,000,000 FCFA |
| Total excl. tax | 10,000,000 FCFA | 25,000,000 FCFA |
Add 150,000 to 400,000 FCFA a month for hosting, OTP text messages and maintenance. Delivery takes 10 to 14 weeks for the essential version, 5 to 6 months for the advanced one.
Measurable gains over 12 months
The figures below are 2026 orders of magnitude seen at FMCG distributors in West Africa with 1,200 active outlets.
| Indicator | Before portal | After 12 months |
|---|---|---|
| Share of orders placed without a rep | 0% | 35% |
| Average basket per order | 180,000 FCFA | 201,600 FCFA (+12%) |
| Order error rate | 8% | 2% |
| Time from order to delivery | 48 to 72 h | 24 to 36 h |
| Sales visits per day per rep | 18 | 12 (more prospecting) |
| Customers over credit limit | 14% | 4% |
The basket gain comes from automatic suggestions (products often bought together, monthly promotions) and visibility on the whole catalogue, whereas a rep shows about 40 SKUs per visit.
Customer credit, the most sensitive point
A large share of shops buy on 7 or 15-day credit. The portal must read the outstanding balance in real time, block an order that exceeds the limit and offer to settle the balance by mobile money before confirmation. Without this rule, the portal grows sales but also bad debt. Plan a "credit supervisor" role who can release an order in one tap from their phone.
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Mr Mensah, sales director of a beverage and grocery distributor serving 1,200 shops with 25 reps, runs monthly revenue of 1,200 shops x 4 orders x 180,000 FCFA, i.e. 864 million FCFA. He invests 18 million FCFA in a portal with credit control and mobile payment. A 12% basket increase on the 35% of orders placed online gives 864 M x 35% x 12% = 36.3 million FCFA of extra monthly revenue. At an 8% gross margin, that is 2.9 million FCFA a month, so the investment pays back in about 6 months, before counting fewer errors (from 8% to 2%) that reduce returns and credit notes.
FAQ
Do we need an app on the Play Store?
Not necessarily. A PWA installs from the browser, weighs under 2 MB and works offline. A native app adds 4 to 8 million FCFA to the budget.
How do we get shopkeepers to order on their own?
Reps walk through the first order on the customer's phone, then a 1 to 2% discount on online orders for 3 months speeds adoption. Aim for 20% online orders after 6 months.
Is mobile money payment mandatory?
No, but it reduces cash collection by drivers. Merchant fees are around 1% per transaction in 2026, to compare with the cost and risk of cash collection.
Can the portal connect to Sage?
Yes, through a connector syncing stock, prices and orders every 5 to 15 minutes. Budget 1.3 to 5 million FCFA depending on the Sage version and data quality.
What if a rep loses orders to the portal?
Most distributors credit online orders to the territory rep. They keep their commission and spend more time opening new outlets.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your number of outlets, SKUs and your sales software: we will propose a scope, an indicative budget and a schedule in 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.
