The verdict in three sentences
Redesigning a commercial bank website costs roughly 150,000 to 400,000 GBP in London in 2026, while a 40-branch bank in Dakar spends 25 to 60 million FCFA (about 38,000 to 91,000 EUR) for a comparable functional scope. The three non-negotiable items everywhere are mobile performance, WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility and security aligned with the regulator, with a penetration test before launch. Plan 5 to 8 months, including a full month for compliance, legal and security sign-off.
Detailed budget for a bank redesign
A bank website is not an ordinary corporate site. It carries calculators that commit the bank's reputation, a branch and ATM locator, product pages subject to compliance review, and it is a permanent target for phishing and attacks. Here is a 2026 breakdown comparing London and Dakar (estimates excluding VAT).
| Item | London 2026 (GBP) | Dakar 2026 (FCFA) | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery, current-state audit, customer journeys | 15,000 - 35,000 | 2,500,000 - 5,000,000 | Retail, business, corporate, diaspora |
| Design system and mobile-first mock-ups | 25,000 - 60,000 | 4,000,000 - 9,000,000 | 40 to 80 templates, reusable components |
| Front end and headless CMS build | 50,000 - 140,000 | 7,000,000 - 16,000,000 | Products, news, careers, press releases |
| Calculators (mortgage, loan, savings) | 15,000 - 40,000 | 3,000,000 - 6,000,000 | 3 to 5 calculators, rules signed off by risk |
| Branch and ATM locator | 8,000 - 20,000 | 1,500,000 - 3,500,000 | Map, hours, services, directions |
| WCAG 2.1 AA audit and fixes | 12,000 - 30,000 | 2,000,000 - 4,500,000 | Automated and manual audit, screen readers |
| Penetration test and hardening | 15,000 - 40,000 | 4,000,000 - 8,000,000 | Before launch, then yearly |
| Approval workflow, migration, QA | 10,000 - 35,000 | 1,000,000 - 8,000,000 | Marketing, compliance, legal, IT |
| Indicative total | 150,000 - 400,000 | 25,000,000 - 60,000,000 | Excludes hosting and CDN licences |
The low end fits a bank that keeps its CMS and rebuilds the experience. The high end includes a CMS migration, five calculators, an online loan application area and two penetration tests.
Security and compliance expectations in 2026
The public website is not online banking, but it is the front door and the most frequently spoofed asset. In the UK, FCA operational resilience rules and the Consumer Duty shape the project; in West Africa, BCEAO IT risk and cybersecurity requirements and Senegal's data protection law 2008-12 play the same role.
| Requirement | Implementation on the site | Indicative 2026 cost (GBP) |
|---|---|---|
| Security headers (CSP, HSTS, X-Frame-Options) | Server and CDN configuration, testing | 1,500 - 4,000 |
| External penetration test | Independent provider, report and retest | 15,000 - 40,000 |
| DDoS protection and WAF | CDN with application firewall | 800 - 3,000 per month |
| Data-protection compliant forms | Consent, notices, retention periods | 3,000 - 8,000 |
| Logging and 24/7 monitoring | Alerts, log retention | 1,000 - 4,000 per month |
| Two-step editorial approval workflow | Marketing, compliance, publisher roles | Included in CMS |
The approval workflow is often underestimated: a rates or terms page published without compliance sign-off exposes the bank. The CMS must enforce at least two approval levels and an auditable version history.
Accessibility and mobile performance
In both markets, most bank website visits now come from mobile, above 85% in Senegal. A realistic 2026 target: largest content rendered in under 2.5 seconds on 4G, pages under 1 MB, and calculators that keep working offline once loaded. WCAG 2.1 AA helps everyone: readable contrast, keyboard navigation, alt text and forms that screen readers can parse. In the UK it also supports Equality Act obligations; for an African bank committed to financial inclusion, it is an institutional argument too.
Mini case study
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Emma, marketing director of a mid-sized UK commercial bank in London, finds that 30% of contact-centre calls ask about branch hours, rates and documents needed for a loan. With 60,000 calls a month, that is 18,000 calls. If the new site with locator and calculators absorbs half of them, the bank saves 9,000 calls a month. At 6 GBP average cost per handled call, savings reach about 648,000 GBP a year. For a 280,000 GBP redesign, payback comes in about five months, before counting loan applications generated by the calculators. The same logic in Dakar, with 2,700 calls saved at 1,500 FCFA, returns about 48.6 million FCFA a year on a 42 million FCFA project.
FAQ
How much does a bank website redesign cost in London in 2026?
Expect 150,000 to 400,000 GBP depending on scope. In Dakar, the equivalent scope costs 25 to 60 million FCFA.
Is a penetration test mandatory?
For a bank, it is essential before launch and recommended every year. Budget 15,000 to 40,000 GBP per campaign in London, or 4 to 8 million FCFA in Dakar, retest included.
How long does a bank redesign take?
5 to 8 months is realistic. Compliance, legal and security approvals alone take 4 to 6 weeks.
Why target WCAG 2.1 AA?
It is the international accessibility benchmark expected by regulators, investors and international partners. Audit and fixes cost 12,000 to 30,000 GBP in London.
Do loan calculators commit the bank?
They must show a clear indicative disclaimer and use rules signed off by risk management. Each calculator costs roughly 4,000 to 10,000 GBP in London.
Let's scope your project. Share your branch count, the calculators you need and your current CMS, and we will define the scope, an indicative budget and the compliance approval schedule. 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.
