The verdict in three sentences
A custom business web application built by a French-speaking agency costs, in 2026, between 8,000,000 and 25,000,000 FCFA (about 12,000-38,000 EUR), delivered in 4 to 7 months by a mixed nearshore team. It is justified when a specific process (case tracking, approval workflows, reporting) fits no off-the-shelf software. The return comes from reduced processing time and data reliability, not the software itself.
Project phases and their cost
A custom project breaks into clear phases: each has a deliverable and a cost. Here are the 2026 ranges in FCFA.
| Phase | Deliverable | Duration | Indicative cost (FCFA) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Framing & specs | Requirements, mockups | 3-4 wks | 1,200,000-3,000,000 |
| UX/UI design | Journeys, design system | 3-5 wks | 1,500,000-3,500,000 |
| Development | Business modules, back-office | 8-14 wks | 4,000,000-14,000,000 |
| Testing & UAT | QA, fixes | 2-3 wks | 800,000-2,500,000 |
| Go-live | Deployment, training | 1-2 wks | 500,000-2,000,000 |
| Run + maintenance | Hosting, support | recurring | 300,000-700,000/month |
The day rate of a mixed nearshore team sits in 2026 between 150,000 and 300,000 FCFA, which makes custom accessible against European prices.
Custom or no-code: when to switch
No-code appeals on cost but quickly caps for demanding business use. Here is the 2026 comparison.
| Criterion | No-code / low-code | Custom |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | 2,000,000-6,000,000 FCFA | 8,000,000-25,000,000 FCFA |
| Recurring cost | 100,000-400,000 FCFA/month | 300,000-700,000 FCFA/month |
| Timeline | 4-8 weeks | 4-7 months |
| Customisation | Limited | Full |
| Volumes / performance | Vendor cap | No cap |
| Code ownership | No | Yes |
To validate an idea or a small process, no-code is enough. Once the process is central and volumes high, custom protects performance and ownership.
ROI on processing time
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The cost is repaid in cases handled faster and error-free. Model for an organisation handling 400 cases/month.
| Metric | Before (manual/Excel) | After (application) | Gain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time per case | 45 min | 15 min | -66% |
| Cases/month per agent | 180 | 520 | x2.9 |
| Error rate | 6% | 1% | -83% |
| Approval delay | 4 days | 1 day | -75% |
Mini case study
Aminata, operations director of a management firm serving Dubai clients, digitises the tracking of 400 client cases per month with an application at 14,000,000 FCFA. Time per case drops from 45 to 15 minutes, freeing the equivalent of 1.5 full-time roles, about 9,000,000 FCFA/year of recovered capacity. With maintenance at 450,000 FCFA/month, the project pays back in under 20 months, excluding reliability gains.
FAQ
Why build custom rather than buy software? Because no off-the-shelf software matches your specific process exactly. Custom avoids bending your business to fit a tool, and makes you owner of the code with no per-user subscription.
What is a mixed nearshore team? A team combining a local project manager close to you and cost-optimised developers. This lowers the day rate while keeping smooth communication in French and on your time zone.
How much is annual maintenance? Count 300,000 to 700,000 FCFA/month depending on application size, for hosting, monitoring, fixes and small enhancements. That is what secures the tool's longevity.
Can we start small then extend? Yes, it is even recommended. We ship a first scope in 4 months, put it in production, then add modules according to priorities and available budget.
What minimum budget to start seriously? Below 8,000,000 FCFA you stay on no-code or a very narrow scope. A real, reliable digitised business process starts around 8 to 12 million FCFA.
Let's scope your project. Describe the process to digitise, the case volume and an indicative budget: we frame an application deliverable in 4 to 7 months. 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.
