The verdict in three sentences
In Sandaga market and the shopping streets of Dakar's Plateau district, every Ghanaian, Nigerian or tourist customer who walks away because nobody understood the question is a lost sale. A trader does not need teacher-level English: the goal is to greet, quote a price, bargain and close in simple English. The Kolonell Academy Beginner English course, taught in French, costs 25,000 FCFA (about 38 EUR) for 13 hours, payable with Wave or Orange Money, and covers exactly that foundation.
Why English pays at the counter, in Sandaga and the Plateau
Dakar welcomes English-speaking buyers every week: Gambian and Ghanaian traders stocking up, Nigerian travellers passing through, ship crews and European or American tourists heading downtown. Many pay cash and buy in volume: wax and bazin fabrics, shoes, phones and accessories, cosmetics, art pieces.
The product is rarely the issue. The conversation is. The customer asks "How much for three?", the seller answers in Wolof or French, the customer hesitates, then walks to the neighbour who understands. With a few dozen well-practised sentences, the same moment ends in a sale.
What the course teaches, module by module:
| Module | What you can do at the end | Direct use at the market |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sounds, alphabet and numbers | Pronounce numbers, spell, understand a quoted price | Say "two thousand five hundred francs" without hesitating |
| 2. Greeting, introducing yourself, politeness | Welcome, introduce yourself, thank | "Welcome, I'm Moussa, how can I help you?" |
| 3. Present simple and everyday vocabulary | Describe a product, colour, size, opening hours | "This fabric is cotton, we open at nine" |
| 4. Getting understood in simple situations | Ask to repeat, slow down, spell, rephrase | "Sorry, can you say that again slowly?" |
| Final project | One-minute recorded and corrected introduction | Your shop "pitch" in English |
The course has 4 modules, 20 lessons, 76 corrected exercises and a final project reviewed by a trainer, which unlocks a numbered certificate verifiable online. You also leave with a 300-word working vocabulary list and a 40-phrase survival sheet you can keep on your phone behind the counter.
What learning English costs in Dakar in 2026
There are plenty of options, but price and schedule vary a lot. A trader who opens six days a week cannot always attend class at a fixed time.
| Option (2026 order of magnitude) | Price | Pace | Fits a trader? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private tutor at home | 7,500 to 15,000 FCFA per hour | 2 h a week, so 60,000 to 120,000 FCFA a month | Effective but costly over time |
| Language institute in Dakar | 30,000 to 60,000 FCFA a month | Fixed hours, often evenings | Hard if the shop closes late |
| Free YouTube videos and apps | 0 FCFA (excluding data) | Free pace, no correction | Useful extra, little follow-up |
| Kolonell Beginner English | 25,000 FCFA, one-off payment | 13 h at your pace, on your phone | Built for work, explained in French |
| Full Professional English track (5 levels) | 350,000 FCFA instead of 450,000 | From beginner to expert | For those aiming higher |
The online format fits market life: you listen to a dialogue between two customers, repeat the audio during a quiet afternoon moment, do three exercises and go back to selling. Each lesson is built around a dialogue set in Dakar, Abidjan, Bamako or Accra, so the situations feel familiar.
The phrases that make the difference at the counter
Here is the kind of English you will be able to say and understand by the end of level 1. These phrases cover most exchanges in a simple sale.
| Situation | English phrase | Meaning in French |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome | Good morning, welcome. Can I help you? | Bonjour, bienvenue. Je peux vous aider ? |
| Price | It's five thousand francs, about eight dollars. | C'est cinq mille francs, environ huit dollars. |
| Bargaining | For two, I can give you nine thousand. | Pour deux, je vous fais neuf mille. |
| Size and colour | We have it in blue and in large. | On l'a en bleu et en grand. |
| Payment | You can pay cash or with Wave. | Vous pouvez payer en espèces ou par Wave. |
| Not understanding | Sorry, can you speak slowly, please? | Pardon, pouvez-vous parler lentement ? |
The goal is modest and realistic: hold a basic conversation, not draft a contract. For emails and phone calls with a foreign supplier, level 2 of the Professional English track, Office English, takes over.
Learn this skill with Kolonell Academy
Short, practical online courses (taught in French), graded exercises, certificate. Pay with Wave or Orange Money.
Mini case study
Fatou, 31, wax and bazin fabric seller in Sandaga. She estimates she loses about 2 English-speaking customers a week because she cannot answer questions about price and quantity. Her average basket with these customers is around 15,000 FCFA, with a 30% gross margin, so 4,500 FCFA of margin per sale.
- Course cost: 25,000 FCFA, paid with Wave.
- Time invested: 13 hours, spread over 4 weeks during slow hours.
- Cautious assumption: she wins back 1 of the 2 lost sales, so 1 extra sale a week.
- Extra margin: 4,500 FCFA a week, roughly 19,500 FCFA a month.
Under this assumption, the course pays for itself in just under 6 weeks (25,000 ÷ 4,500). If she wins back 2 sales a week, payback drops to 3 weeks. This is an estimate: results depend on your customer flow, your products and how regularly you practise. No gain is guaranteed.
FAQ
I haven't studied English since middle school. Can I take this course?
Yes. It starts from zero and everything is explained in French. Module 1 covers the alphabet, numbers and the sounds that trip up French speakers before moving on to sentences, for 13 hours in total at your own pace.
Can I follow the course on my phone only?
Yes, lessons, audio and exercises work on a smartphone. A data bundle of a few thousand FCFA is usually enough for a month of lessons, especially if you download audio over Wi-Fi when you can.
How do I pay the 25,000 FCFA?
Payment is made once, with Wave or Orange Money. The full 5-level track costs 350,000 FCFA instead of 450,000 if you want to go all the way to business English.
Will I be fluent at the end?
No, and no 13-hour course can honestly promise that. You will be able to introduce yourself, quote a price, describe a product and ask a customer to repeat, which is enough for most simple counter sales.
Is the certificate useful for a job?
The certificate is numbered and verifiable online, which reassures employers. In Dakar, sales or reception jobs that ask for basic English often pay 20,000 to 50,000 FCFA more a month (2026 order of magnitude), with no guarantee of being hired.
Take the next step. Enroll in Beginner English: introduce yourself, understand and be understood (taught in French): 13 hours, 25,000 FCFA, certificate verifiable online. Pay with Wave or Orange Money. Questions? 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.
