The verdict in three sentences
If you still look for your files in the Downloads folder and send emails from your phone because it feels easier, Kolonell Academy's level 1 Beginner course (25,000 FCFA, 5 hours) targets exactly that gap: Windows 11, the AZERTY keyboard, file organization, backups and professional email. The prerequisites are modest: access to a Windows computer at least three hours a week and a Gmail or Outlook address. You read module 1 for free, then pay with Wave or Orange Money, and your access is activated within 24 working hours.
Before you enroll: the real prerequisites
The course is built for job seekers, shopkeepers buying their first PC, students looking for an internship and administrative staff who feel slow on a computer. It assumes no prior training: it is the entry point of the track. It is taught in French. Here is what you actually need before paying.
| Prerequisite | In practice | If you don't have it |
|---|---|---|
| Windows computer | Personal, family, office or cybercafé, at least 3 hours a week | A cybercafé seat in Dakar costs roughly 300 to 500 FCFA an hour in 2026 (order of magnitude) |
| Mouse or touchpad | Know how to turn on the computer and click | A few minutes with someone close is enough |
| Email address | An existing Gmail or Outlook account | Free to create, and part of the module 3 exercises |
| Microsoft Office | Not needed at this level | Office becomes useful from level 2 |
| Cloud storage | Google Drive (15 GB free) or OneDrive (5 GB free) | Nothing to buy |
| Mac instead of PC | Same principles | Mac shortcut equivalents are given when they exist |
The lessons can be read on a phone over 3G, with no app to install. The exercises are done on the computer, which is the whole point: you organize your own files and set up your own mailbox.
What you learn in 5 hours
The computer, files and professional email course has four modules. The format is simple: text lessons, one PDF handout per module, exercises applied to your own computer and a quiz at the end of each module. There is no video and no live class, which keeps mobile data use low.
| Module | What you work on | What you produce |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Your workstation under control (free preview) | Windows 11, accents and @ on the AZERTY keyboard, updates, antivirus, power cuts | An up-to-date, protected computer |
| 2. Files, folders and backup | File Explorer, extensions, folder plan, dated naming rule | Your folder tree and a tested automatic backup |
| 3. A professional mailbox | Subject line, greeting, attachments, labels, automatic rules, calendar | A signature and three email templates |
| 4. Keyboard shortcuts and work organization | 20 shortcuts, screenshots, PDF, quick search, daily routine | Your shortcut sheet and the final project |
There is a single, concrete project to submit: your organized workstation, documented with screenshots. Plan about three hours of lessons, time for the exercises and 45 minutes for the project. With two or three sessions a week, most beginners finish in two weeks.
Price, options in Dakar and payment steps
In Dakar, you can also learn office skills in a cybercafé that runs classes or in a training center. Those options give you a trainer in the room, but they cost more and come with fixed hours.
| Option | 2026 price (order of magnitude) | Pace | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kolonell Academy, level 1 Beginner | 25,000 FCFA (about 38 EUR), one-off | 5 hours, self-paced | Lifetime access, updates, verifiable certificate |
| Office skills class in a cybercafé or center in Dakar | 30,000 to 80,000 FCFA per month | Fixed hours | Center attendance certificate, depending on the provider |
| Free YouTube tutorials | 0 FCFA, excluding mobile data | Variable | No structured progression, no certificate |
| Full Kolonell track (5 levels) | 350,000 FCFA instead of 450,000 | Several months | From beginner to executive assistant |
Payment takes four steps. First, read module 1 for free to check the level suits you. Then enroll and receive a pro forma invoice with the amount. Pay with Wave or Orange Money to +221 77 596 93 33. Your access is activated within 24 working hours after payment. Once access is activated, the course is not refundable, which is exactly why the free preview exists: use it.
This level does not give you a job on its own. It is, however, the baseline required for most office roles. In Dakar, an administrative clerk or data entry assistant usually starts between 100,000 and 180,000 FCFA gross per month in 2026, above the minimum wage of about 64,000 FCFA. That is a 2026 order of magnitude that varies by profile, and no income is guaranteed. Computer fluency is, however, often tested at the interview.
To go further, the Office and productivity track continues with professional Word at level 2, then the following levels.
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
Consider a hypothetical learner: Fatou, 23, holds a two-year vocational diploma, lives in Parcelles Assainies and is looking for her first office job. She uses the family computer three evenings a week. Her budget: 25,000 FCFA for the course and about 2,000 FCFA of mobile data to read lessons on her phone, so 27,000 FCFA in total.
In two weeks, with three sessions of about 1 hour 40 minutes, she completes the four modules and the final project. Here is a purely illustrative calculation: if she then landed a data entry job at 120,000 FCFA gross, compared with 70,000 FCFA as a shop assistant, the gap would be 50,000 FCFA a month. The course cost would equal a little over two weeks of that gap. This scenario is not an achieved result: hiring depends on the market, the profile and the interview.
FAQ
I don't have a personal computer. Can I still take the course?
Yes, as long as you can use a Windows computer at least three hours a week, at work, at home or in a cybercafé. The file and backup exercises work best on a computer you use regularly.
How much time should I plan?
About 5 hours: three hours of lessons, the end-of-lesson exercises and 45 minutes for the final project. With two or three sessions a week, you finish in two weeks.
How do I pay with Wave, and when is my access opened?
You pay 25,000 FCFA with Wave or Orange Money to +221 77 596 93 33 after receiving your pro forma invoice. Access is activated within 24 working hours and lasts for life, updates included. It is no longer refundable once activated, so read the free module 1 first.
Do I need to buy Microsoft Office?
No. This level uses Windows, a browser, Gmail or Outlook and the free storage of Google Drive (15 GB) or OneDrive (5 GB). Office becomes useful from level 2.
Do I get a certificate?
Yes, a numbered Kolonell Academy certificate, verifiable online with a QR code, that you can add to LinkedIn. You earn it by passing the quizzes of all four modules with at least 70%. It certifies a completed course: it is not a state diploma.
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Take the next step. Enroll in Getting to grips with your computer, files and email: 5 hours, 25,000 FCFA (about 38 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.
