The verdict in three sentences
A custom business platform in 2026 costs between 8 and 30 million FCFA (about 12,200-45,750 EUR) depending on the complexity of the process being digitised. A realistic timeline runs 4 to 8 months, with a local day rate of 200,000 to 350,000 FCFA/day. The main lever for controlling the budget is phased delivery: ship the business core first, then iterate.
What the budget covers, phase by phase
A business platform replaces a manual process (Excel, paper, WhatsApp) with a centralised tool: structured input, roles and permissions, validation workflow, tracking dashboards. Phasing avoids the tunnel effect and lets you bill by milestone.
| Phase | Scope | FCFA budget | EUR | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Framing & specs | Workshops, mockups, backlog | 800,000-1,800,000 | 1,220-2,745 | 2-4 wks |
| Technical foundation | Auth, roles, database | 1,500,000-3,500,000 | 2,290-5,340 | 3-5 wks |
| Business core (MVP) | Main process, workflow | 3,000,000-9,000,000 | 4,575-13,725 | 6-10 wks |
| Add-on modules | Reporting, exports, notifications | 2,000,000-8,000,000 | 3,050-12,200 | 4-8 wks |
| UAT & go-live | Testing, training, deployment | 700,000-4,000,000 | 1,070-6,100 | 2-4 wks |
| Project total | Complete platform | 8,000,000-30,000,000 | 12,200-45,750 | 4-8 months |
Hosting, regional cloud and maintenance
The recurring cost is often underestimated. Regional cloud hosting (lower latency for West African users) and an annual maintenance of 15-18 % of the project cost must be budgeted from day one.
| Recurring item | 2026 estimate (order of magnitude) | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Regional cloud hosting | 25,000-120,000 FCFA/month | Monthly |
| Domain + certificates | 15,000-40,000 FCFA/year | Yearly |
| Automated backups | 10,000-35,000 FCFA/month | Monthly |
| Corrective/evolutive maintenance | 15-18 % of project cost/year | Yearly |
| Priority support (SLA) | 75,000-250,000 FCFA/month | Monthly |
On a 15,000,000 FCFA platform, annual maintenance therefore represents 2,250,000 to 2,700,000 FCFA/year, hosting on top.
Mini case study
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Mr. Sarr runs a distribution SME: 14 sales reps record orders on paper, later re-keyed into Excel. Errors, invoicing delays, no real-time visibility. He invests 13,000,000 FCFA in a business platform (MVP + reporting module), delivered in 5 months.
Before: each rep loses ~40 minutes/day re-keying, i.e. 14 x 40 min = 9.3 hours/day lost. After digitisation, that drops to ~10 minutes/day of direct entry, a gain of ~7 hours/day. Valued at 1,500 FCFA/loaded hour, that is ~10,500 FCFA/day x 22 days = 231,000 FCFA/month of recovered time, on top of fewer invoicing errors. Payback on the operational premium is estimated at under 18 months.
FAQ
Why a custom platform rather than off-the-shelf software? When the business process is specific (workflow, calculations, particular roles), generic software forces costly compromises. Custom fits the need 100 %; expect a minimum budget of 8,000,000 FCFA for it to make sense.
Can payment be spread out? Yes. Phasing lets you bill by milestone (framing, foundation, MVP, modules). A first phase delivered at 3-4,000,000 FCFA proves value before committing further.
How much is post-delivery maintenance? Plan for 15-18 % of the project cost per year, i.e. roughly 1,200,000 to 5,400,000 FCFA/year depending on size, plus cloud hosting (25,000-120,000 FCFA/month).
What is a realistic timeline? From 4 to 8 months depending on the number of modules. An MVP focused on the business core can ship in 3 months if scope is disciplined.
How do we avoid the tunnel effect? Deliver in phases with UAT at each milestone, mockups validated before development, and a prioritised backlog. You watch the platform grow instead of waiting 8 months in the dark.
Let's scope your project. Describe the process to digitise, your indicative budget and target timeline: we propose a costed phased breakdown. 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.
