The verdict in three sentences
If you already sell a little online in Dakar and lose money on refused parcels, fake Wave screenshots or badly priced delivery, the Level 2 Beginner course at 50,000 FCFA (about 76 EUR, 12 h) is the right entry point, with no technical skills required. Its two flagship modules, Getting paid without getting scammed and Delivering in Dakar, the regions and to the diaspora, tackle these leaks directly. In the case followed throughout the course, losses drop from over 5 % to under 1 % of sales: that is a teaching example, not a guaranteed result for your shop.
What you learn, module by module
The course E-commerce: selling online in Senegal and French-speaking Africa is taught in French and works as a six-module action plan built on real 2026 Senegalese market figures: Wave and Orange Money fees, courier prices in Dakar, bus fares to Thiès, Saint-Louis or Ziguinchor. Each lesson ends with a 10 to 20 minute exercise applied to your own business, with an answer key online, and each module has a PDF handout and a quiz.
| Module | What you do | What you leave with |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Choosing what to sell and at what price (free preview) | Starter catalogue, target customer, price covering fees and returns | 10 products and a floor-price grid at 35 % net margin |
| 2. Setting up your sales channel | WhatsApp Business, Facebook page, Instagram shop, Google listing | A properly set up WhatsApp shop |
| 3. Getting paid without getting scammed | Wave and Orange Money merchant account, deposit rule, anti-dispute procedure | Your written payment process (project to submit) |
| 4. Delivering in Dakar, the regions and to the diaspora | Couriers, buses, consolidated shipping, returns | Delivery grid with Dakar in three zones, three regional cities, diaspora |
| 5. Product sheets and messages that trigger orders | Seven-line product sheet, phone photos, WhatsApp scripts | Quick-reply scripts: first contact, price, follow-up, confirmation |
| 6. Retaining, measuring and growing | Sales tracking sheet, six weekly figures | Your ready-to-sell shop (final project) |
The tools are free or already on your phone: WhatsApp Business, Wave, Orange Money, Meta Business Suite, Google Business Profile, Canva, Google Sheets, and Paps or Yango for delivery in Dakar. The prerequisites fit in three lines: a product or service to sell (even without much stock), a smartphone with internet and a WhatsApp account.
2026 price: the course against the other options
| Option | Indicative 2026 price | Duration | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kolonell Academy, Level 2 E-commerce | 50,000 FCFA, one-off | 12 h, about 4 to 5 weeks at 2 or 3 h per week | 6 modules, 2 projects, numbered certificate, lifetime access |
| Level 1: Selling on WhatsApp | 25,000 FCFA | 5 h | WhatsApp catalogue and order basics |
| Full E-commerce track | 350,000 FCFA instead of 450,000 | 5 levels, about 93 h | Up to managing margins, acquisition and a team |
| Classroom e-commerce workshop in Dakar | 50,000 to 150,000 FCFA (rough estimate) | 1 to 3 days | General content, fixed hours |
| Free YouTube videos | 0 FCFA apart from data | Variable | Advice often designed for Europe, without Wave or local delivery |
This Level 2 belongs to the E-commerce and online selling track, which has five levels: Selling on WhatsApp (25,000 FCFA), this course (50,000), Online store (75,000), E-commerce operations manager (100,000) and Running an e-commerce business (200,000). The full track costs 350,000 FCFA instead of 450,000, and a course already bought is deducted.
What a methodically run shop can bring in
Here are the rough figures observed in Dakar in 2026 and quoted by the official course page, for a 10-product WhatsApp shop with an average basket around 15,000 FCFA and a floor price at 35 % net margin. Results depend on the product, your consistency and the competition: no income is guaranteed.
| Indicator | 2026 rough estimate | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Orders per month | 20 to 100 | Depending on catalogue and time invested |
| Monthly revenue | 300,000 to 1,500,000 FCFA | With an average basket of about 15,000 FCFA |
| Net margin before tax | 100,000 to 500,000 FCFA per month | Floor price set at 35 % |
| Losses before the method (course case) | Over 5 % of sales | Refused parcels, fake screenshots |
| Losses after the anti-dispute process | Under 1 % of sales | Module 3 |
| Monthly delivery losses (course case) | From 32,000 to 1,000 FCFA | Displayed grid from module 4 |
Mini case study
Consider a hypothetical learner: Fatou, 29, makes wax-print bags in Parcelles Assainies and sells on WhatsApp. She handles 30 orders a month at a 15,000 FCFA average basket, 450,000 FCFA in sales, and loses about 6 % to refused parcels and undercharged deliveries, 27,000 FCFA a month. She pays 50,000 FCFA and takes the course at 3 hours a week. If, purely as an illustration, her losses fell to 1 %, 4,500 FCFA, she would save 22,500 FCFA a month and the course would be paid back in just over two months. This is an example: your result depends on actually applying the method.
Learn this skill with Kolonell Academy
Short, practical online courses (taught in French), graded exercises, certificate. Pay with Wave or Orange Money.
FAQ
Do I need stock already?
No. Module 1 has you choose 10 products from what you sell or can source. For made-to-order items, the module 3 deposit rule sets 50 % before production, and full payment before shipping to the regions.
Do I need to know how to build a website?
No, no technical skill is required. The course teaches you to sell with WhatsApp Business, Facebook, Instagram and a Google listing, and gives you five signals to know when a website becomes worth it.
How much time should I plan?
About 12 hours: 7 hours of lessons, one exercise per lesson and two projects to submit. At 2 or 3 hours a week, you finish in four to five weeks, on a phone over 3G, with no app to install.
How do I get the certificate?
By passing all six quizzes with at least 70 %, you receive a numbered Kolonell Academy certificate, verifiable online via QR code, that you can add to LinkedIn; your final project must also be approved by a reviewer. It certifies a completed course, it is not a diploma.
How do I pay?
With Wave or Orange Money at +221 77 596 93 33, for 50,000 FCFA. Access is activated within 24 working hours and stays open for life. It is no longer refundable once activated, so start with the free module 1.
---
Take the next step. Enroll in E-commerce: selling online in Senegal and French-speaking Africa: 12 h, 50,000 FCFA (about 76 EUR), numbered 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.
