The verdict in three sentences
In San-Pédro, cocoa, coffee, rubber and palm oil leave for Europe, Asia and America with contracts, certificates and emails written in English. A salesperson, freight forwarder or certification officer able to negotiate and write in business English typically earns 100,000 to 300,000 FCFA more per month (about 150 to 460 EUR) than an equivalent French-only profile (2026 order of magnitude, depending on sector and network, with no guarantee of employment or income). The course Business English: presentations, negotiation and documents (level 4 Intermediate, 100,000 FCFA, 22 h, taught in French) targets exactly these situations: formal emails, figures, negotiation, reading tenders and contracts.
Where English pays in the port ecosystem
The port of San-Pédro is the world's leading cocoa export port, and the whole chain around it deals with English-speaking counterparts: traders in London or Amsterdam, shipowners, inspectors, certification auditors, Ghanaian and Nigerian buyers. Here are the opportunities where business English changes your position the most.
| Opportunity in San-Pédro | What you are asked to do in English | Indicative salary gap 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Cocoa traders and exporters | Emails to buyers, contract confirmations, quality claims | 100,000 to 300,000 FCFA more per month |
| Shipping agencies and ship agents | Exchanges with shipowners, arrival notices, disputes | 100,000 to 250,000 FCFA more per month |
| Freight forwarding and customs clearance | Reading data sheets and shipping instructions | 80,000 to 200,000 FCFA more per month |
| Certification and traceability | Short reports, audit minutes | 100,000 to 250,000 FCFA more per month |
| Suppliers to multinationals | Tender responses, sales presentations | Varies with the contract |
| Consultants and SMEs (donors: World Bank, AfDB, United Nations) | Letter and proposal in response to a tender | Access to markets often larger than the local one |
These gaps are orders of magnitude seen on the 2026 job market. The actual amount depends on the company, your experience and your network. The course guarantees neither a job nor an income.
What level 4 teaches you, module by module
The course has eight modules of text lessons with explanations in French, PDF handouts, exercises with answer keys and one quiz per module. Cases are set between Dakar, Abidjan, Accra, Lagos and the diaspora.
| Module | Direct use at the port or in exports |
|---|---|
| 1. Writing professional English: tenses, structure and clarity (free preview) | Clear emails in Plain English |
| 2. Formal and semi-formal emails | Follow-up, payment reminder, complaint, apology |
| 3. Short reports, memos and minutes | Minutes of a meeting with a buyer or an auditor |
| 4. Business, finance and marketing vocabulary | Quote, invoice, purchase order, figures in FCFA, dollars, euros |
| 5. Sales presentations and pitches | Presenting your cooperative or your company |
| 6. Negotiating, arguing and defending your ideas | Offer, counter-offer, concession, agreement confirmed in writing |
| 7. Understanding commercial and technical documents | Tenders, contract clauses, data sheets |
| 8. Business role-plays based on real cases | Distributor in Accra, donor, client in London |
Module 7 is the most valuable in San-Pédro: reading an RFP, understanding the usual clauses of a commercial contract (payment terms, liability, delivery, termination) and extracting the essentials from a data sheet. It does not replace a lawyer for a binding contract. Eight projects run through the course, up to the final project: your complete business file in English, with your kit of 10 formal emails, your 250-term glossary, your 10-slide presentation and your response to a tender.
Price, duration and prerequisites
| Option | Indicative 2026 price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Free apps and videos | 0 FCFA | General English, few business documents |
| Evening classes at a language school (Abidjan) | order of magnitude 150,000 to 400,000 FCFA | Travel, fixed hours |
| Kolonell Academy, Business English | 100,000 FCFA (about 152 EUR), 22 h | Level 4, lifetime access, on a phone on 3G |
| Full Professional English track (5 levels) | 350,000 FCFA instead of 450,000 | From level 1 to level 5 |
Prerequisites: level 3 (Conversational English) or a B1 level, meaning you can hold a conversation and a simple meeting. If you still freeze when speaking, start lower in the Professional English track. Plan eight to ten weeks at 2 to 3 hours a week. Support goes through the course forum and WhatsApp.
Mini case study
Learn this skill with Kolonell Academy
Short, practical online courses (taught in French), graded exercises, certificate. Pay with Wave or Orange Money.
Consider a hypothetical learner: Yao, 29, sales assistant at a cocoa exporter in San-Pédro, paid 220,000 FCFA a month. He understands English but does not dare reply to buyers alone. He takes level 4 over nine weeks and builds, as projects, an email kit and a template reply to a quality claim. Illustrative calculation: if this lets him take over follow-up of English-speaking clients and earn 100,000 FCFA more per month, the 100,000 FCFA course would pay for itself in one month. This scenario is a calculation hypothesis, not an observed result.
FAQ
What English level do I need to start?
A B1 level: holding a conversation and a simple meeting. The course builds on it with 22 hours focused on writing, figures and negotiation.
Does this course prepare for TOEIC or IELTS?
No. It gives you a numbered Kolonell Academy certificate, verifiable online via QR code and addable to LinkedIn, obtained by passing the module quizzes with at least 70 %; your final project must also be approved by a reviewer. It does not replace an official test.
Are there live classes or videos?
No. The format relies on text lessons explained in French, PDFs, exercises with answer keys, 8 quizzes and 8 projects. That is what makes it workable on a phone, on 3G, between two shipments.
Can I apply the projects to my own company?
It is recommended: the 8 projects form a reusable file. Without real data, use a fictional company declared as such.
How do I pay and when does access open?
With Wave or Orange Money at +221 77 596 93 33. Access is activated within 24 working hours. Try the free module 1 first, because access is no longer refundable once activated.
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Take the next step. Enroll in Business English: presentations, negotiation and documents: 22 h, level 4 Intermediate, 100,000 FCFA (about 152 EUR), numbered Kolonell Academy certificate, taught in French. 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.
