The verdict in three sentences
A butane gas depot does not sell a product, it circulates a fleet of deposit cylinders: each bottle is an asset worth 5,000 to 11,000 FCFA moving between the depot, resellers and customers. Excel cannot model the full → empty → deposit → return cycle, so the depot loses cylinders without noticing. A dedicated deposit + delivery app costs 1,800,000 to 3,200,000 FCFA (or 15,000 to 30,000 FCFA/month as SaaS) and cuts fleet losses by about 40 %.
Excel versus an app built for deposits
The depot's trap is treating cylinders like ordinary stock. But a cylinder is not "sold": it is lent against a deposit and must come back. You must track state (full/empty) AND location (depot/customer).
| Criterion | Excel / ledger | Dedicated deposit app |
|---|---|---|
| Full/empty tracking | Manual, soon wrong | Automatic per cylinder |
| Deposit per customer | Not tracked | Tracked, 5,000–11,000 FCFA |
| Fleet tracked | 2,000–8,000 fuzzy | 2,000–8,000 precise |
| Cylinder losses | Undetected | −40 % |
| Delivery rounds | On paper | Optimized, geolocated |
| Margin per 6 kg refill | Not calculated | ~800–1,500 FCFA tracked |
| Month-end reconciliation | 1–2 days | A few minutes |
2026 costs, margins and timelines
A depot's economics rest on refill margin and the value of the deposit fleet. Here are the ballpark figures.
| Parameter | Value (2026 ballpark) |
|---|---|
| Dedicated app build | 1,800,000–3,200,000 FCFA |
| Monthly SaaS | 15,000–30,000 FCFA/mo |
| Delivery time | 6–9 weeks |
| Cylinder fleet tracked | 2,000–8,000 units |
| Deposit per cylinder | 5,000–11,000 FCFA |
| Margin per 6 kg refill | 800–1,500 FCFA |
| Fleet-loss reduction | ~40 % |
| Value of a 5,000-cylinder fleet | 25,000,000–55,000,000 FCFA |
When the fleet is worth tens of millions of FCFA, cutting losses by 40 % weighs far more than the app's cost.
Mini case study
Moustapha runs a depot in Pikine with a 5,000-cylinder fleet, average deposit 8,000 FCFA (fleet value: 40,000,000 FCFA). He estimates losing 3 % of the fleet a year, i.e. 150 cylinders or 1,200,000 FCFA. With an app tracking each deposit and flagging cylinders that never came back, losses fall to 1.8 %, i.e. 90 cylinders (720,000 FCFA): 480,000 FCFA saved per year. The 2,500,000 FCFA build pays off in about five years on avoided losses alone — but add route optimization and the end of deposit disputes, and the return is much faster.
Refer a depot, earn a commission
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Do you know gas depots, distributors or resellers managing their fleet by hand? Join the Kolonell referral (apporteur d'affaires) program. You earn 15 % + 5 % recurring on a showcase site, 12 % on e-commerce, 10 % on a marketplace and 8 % on institutional projects. Just introduce the contact; we handle the demo, the quote and the delivery.
FAQ
Does the app handle resellers holding their own fleet on deposit?
Yes. Each reseller has an account with their balance of full and empty cylinders, deposit owed and history. You always know how many cylinders are "out" and with whom.
Can delivery rounds be optimized?
Yes. The app groups orders by zone and proposes a geolocated route order, cutting fuel and empty trips. That is a direct saving on logistics costs.
How are refunded deposits handled?
On each empty-cylinder return, the matching deposit is automatically cleared in the customer account with a receipt. No more arguments over "who paid which deposit".
Do cylinders need QR codes?
Not mandatory but recommended beyond 3,000 cylinders: one QR code per bottle enables precise unit tracking and speeds up fleet audits. Expect a low cost per label.
Let's talk about your project. We model your deposit fleet, your rounds and your refill margins — not a generic stock app. 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.
