The verdict in three sentences
For a career change into web development in Bamako, HTML and CSS are the first skill you can bill for: a landing page or a static showcase site for an SME, with no database or online payment. The course HTML and CSS: build and lay out a real website, taught in French, level 2 Beginner, 50,000 FCFA (76 EUR), 12 h, takes 3 to 4 hours a week for 3 to 4 weeks, alongside your current job. The rates quoted for Dakar and Abidjan, 75,000 to 300,000 FCFA per project (about 115 to 460 EUR), need adjusting to the Bamako market, and no income is guaranteed.
Why start with HTML and CSS
When changing careers, the temptation is to aim straight for React or full-stack. That is often a mistake: every tool, from WordPress to site builders, produces HTML and CSS, and both JavaScript and React rest on these foundations. Writing them by hand lets you fix what tools break, build a mock-up pixel-perfect and quickly produce a first result you can show.
In Bamako as elsewhere, many SMEs want a simple, fast website that reads well on a phone: a restaurant in ACI 2000, a clinic in Hamdallaye, a private school in Badalabougou, a law firm. That need matches exactly what this level covers.
| Module | What you learn | Lesson type |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Semantic HTML: structuring a site (free preview) | Planning a showcase site, header, nav, main, section, footer tags, links, images | Text and code exercises |
| 2. Forms and accessibility | Contact and booking forms, native validation, contrast, ARIA, metadata and WhatsApp sharing | Text and code exercises |
| 3. CSS fundamentals | Cascade, specificity, box model, units, typography readable on a phone | Code exercises |
| 4. Flexbox, Grid and responsive design | Navigation bar, service grids, mobile-first, mobile menu without JavaScript | Code exercises |
| 5. Maintainable CSS, performance and going live | CSS variables, light animations, WebP images, Netlify or GitHub Pages, Lighthouse | Text and code exercises |
Two projects are submitted: the landing page of a Dakar restaurant (module 3), then the responsive 4-page showcase site of an SME, fictional or real, published online (final project). You also leave with a Lighthouse report on your site and a portfolio project sheet with link, screenshots and technical choices. Code exercises are marked automatically.
What you need to start
| Need | Detail | Indicative cost 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Level 2 Beginner course | 12 h, 5 modules, 2 projects | 50,000 FCFA (76 EUR) |
| Computer | VS Code and Google Chrome installed | The one you already have, even a modest one |
| Time | 3 to 4 hours a week | For 3 to 4 weeks |
| Project hosting | Netlify or GitHub Pages | Free |
| Domain name (optional) | A .com | 6,300 to 8,600 FCFA a year |
| Prerequisite | Level 1 recommended, or able to write a simple HTML page with headings, links and images | Free if you already have these basics |
The course is delivered as written lessons, code exercises, PDF handouts and quizzes, with a forum per course and WhatsApp support. Module 1 is free to view before paying, and access is lifetime, updates included.
The rest of the track and market rates
After this level you can offer landing pages and simple static showcase sites. As soon as a client wants a form that stores data, online payment or an admin area, you need the next levels of the Web development track: JavaScript (level 3, 75,000 FCFA), then React and Next.js (level 4, 100,000 FCFA). The five levels of the track cost 350,000 FCFA together instead of 450,000.
| Service | Indicative rate 2026 (Dakar, Abidjan) | Level required |
|---|---|---|
| Responsive landing page | 75,000 to 150,000 FCFA | Level 2 HTML and CSS |
| Simple 4 to 5 page showcase site | 150,000 to 300,000 FCFA | Level 2 HTML and CSS |
| Entry-level freelance offer | From about 150,000 FCFA | Level 2 and a portfolio |
| Agency-built site | 400,000 to 1,500,000 FCFA | Team, higher levels |
| Site with payment or back office | Higher | Levels 3 to 5 |
These amounts are quoted on the course page for Dakar and Abidjan. In Bamako, SME budgets may differ: ask around before setting your prices. They are orders of magnitude; no income is guaranteed.
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: Ibrahim, 32, a maths teacher at a private high school in Bamako who wants to build a web development side business. He takes level 2 at 50,000 FCFA, 4 hours a week for 3 weeks, in the evenings and at weekends.
Illustrative calculation: a single landing page billed at the low end of the quoted range, 75,000 FCFA, would cover the course cost. If he continues with JavaScript and React, his total investment for levels 2 to 4 would be 225,000 FCFA, the equivalent of one and a half showcase sites at 150,000 FCFA. This calculation does not describe an achieved result: finding first clients takes time and depends on the local market.
FAQ
Do I need to have taken level 1?
It is recommended but not required. If you can already create an HTML file with headings, paragraphs, links and images and open it in a browser, you can start directly at level 2.
Why not learn WordPress directly?
WordPress has its place, but it also produces HTML and CSS. Knowing how to write them lets you fix a theme, build a mock-up and prepare for JavaScript (level 3, 75,000 FCFA) and React (level 4, 100,000 FCFA).
Will my site really be online?
Yes. Module 5 has you publish your site for free on Netlify or GitHub Pages, and you can connect it to a .com domain for 6,300 to 8,600 FCFA a year.
Are there videos or live classes?
No. Lessons are written, with automatically marked code exercises, PDF handouts, quizzes and two projects. The course can be read on a phone over 3G, but you need a computer to code.
What certificate will I get?
A numbered Kolonell Academy certificate, verifiable online (QR code), that you can add to LinkedIn, after passing the quizzes of all 5 modules with at least 70 %; your final project must also be approved by a reviewer. It is not a diploma; for a recruiter or client, your live site and project sheet count just as much.
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Take the next step. Enroll in HTML and CSS: build and lay out a real website: 12 h, 50,000 FCFA (76 EUR), Kolonell Academy 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.
