The verdict in three sentences
If you sell in Saint-Louis from a shop, on WhatsApp or on Instagram, the course E-commerce: selling online in Senegal and francophone Africa (level 2 Beginner, 50,000 FCFA, 12 h) has you produce, on your own products, the tools of a store that gets paid and delivers. Every lesson ends with an exercise applied to your business, and the final project is your store, ready to sell: catalogue, prices, payment, delivery and scripts. All you need is a smartphone, a connection and a WhatsApp account; no technical skills are required.
The deliverables you build, one by one
This article details what you hold at the end, because that is what matters to a seller: documents you can use the next day, not general theory.
| Deliverable | Exact content | Module |
|---|---|---|
| Starter catalogue | 10 products: 3 entry, 5 core, 2 premium or gift sets | 1 |
| Floor price grid | Prices at a 35 % net margin, Wave fees, delivery and returns included | 1 |
| Payment and anti-dispute process | Deposit rules by order type, confirmation message, five posted rules, five-step dispute procedure (project to submit) | 3 |
| Delivery grid | Local zones, regional towns and diaspora, with prices, lead times and payment method, absent-customer and returns rules | 4 |
| Three product sheets | Seven lines each, twelve photos and one video shot on your phone | 5 |
| WhatsApp scripts | First contact, price with delivery, follow-up at 24 h then 72 h, confirmation, review request | 5 |
| Sales tracker | Google Sheets in 10 columns, your last ten orders, weekly sheet of six figures | 6 |
On top of that come a seven-day plan to find your first customers (statuses, broadcast lists, Facebook groups, Marketplace) and a written decision on your ad budget. The full program is on the E-commerce: selling online in Senegal course page (the course is taught in French).
Why these deliverables matter when you sell from Saint-Louis
The course examples follow a fictional store in Dakar, but the method transfers. From Saint-Louis, your delivery grid works differently: your neighborhoods and Sor become your local zones, Dakar becomes a city served by intercity bus or carrier, and the diaspora stays a separate line. Module 4 covers exactly that: bus stations, carriers, pickup points and shipping abroad.
The floor price is the other key piece. A dress sold at 15,000 FCFA and sent to Dakar by bus, with Wave fees and a return risk, can leave far less margin than expected. Module 1 has you calculate that floor product by product. The course page gives 2026 orders of magnitude for a WhatsApp store run with this method:
| Indicator | 2026 order of magnitude |
|---|---|
| Reference average basket | Around 15,000 FCFA |
| Orders per month | 20 to 100, depending on catalogue and time invested |
| Monthly revenue | 300,000 to 1,500,000 FCFA |
| Monthly net margin before tax | 100,000 to 500,000 FCFA |
| Losses (refused parcels, fake screenshots) with the anti-dispute process | From over 5 % to under 1 % of revenue in the case studied |
| Delivery losses with a posted grid | From 32,000 FCFA to 1,000 FCFA per month in the case studied |
These figures come from observations in Dakar and vary by profile: in Saint-Louis, volume depends on your product, your consistency and local competition. No income is guaranteed.
What an e-commerce course costs in 2026
| Option | Indicative 2026 cost | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| In-person online selling workshop | 50,000 to 150,000 FCFA (order of magnitude) | One or two days, often in Dakar |
| Free videos on YouTube or TikTok | 0 FCFA (excluding data) | Scattered tips, rarely adapted to Wave and intercity buses |
| Kolonell Academy, level 2 E-commerce | 50,000 FCFA (about 76 EUR), one-off | 12 h, two projects, lifetime access, certificate |
| Full E-commerce track (5 levels) | 350,000 FCFA instead of 450,000 | From first catalogue to running a store |
All five levels are on the E-commerce and online selling track page.
Mini case study
Learn this skill with Kolonell Academy
Short, practical online courses (taught in French), graded exercises, certificate. Pay with Wave or Orange Money.
Consider a hypothetical learner: Ndèye, 31, who sells thiouraye incense and woven cloths in Saint-Louis through her WhatsApp status. Illustrative math: the course costs 50,000 FCFA. With an average basket of 15,000 FCFA and a 35 % net margin, each order would leave about 5,250 FCFA. She would need around ten extra orders to cover the cost, a few weeks if her 24 h and 72 h follow-ups win back hesitant customers. This is only an illustration: the outcome depends on her products and her work.
FAQ
Do I need stock to start?
No. Module 1 has you pick 10 products from what you sell or can source, and some can be sold to order. Module 3 sets the matching deposit rule, for example 50 % before production for made-to-measure items.
How much time should I plan?
About twelve hours: around 7 hours of lessons, a 10 to 20 minute exercise after each lesson and two projects (one hour for the payment process, three hours for the ready-to-sell store). At 2 or 3 hours a week, plan for four to five weeks.
Do I need a website?
No. The course relies on WhatsApp Business, a Facebook page, an Instagram shop and a Google Business Profile listing. Lesson 4 of module 2 gives five signals that tell you when a website becomes worthwhile.
How do I pay and get the certificate?
50,000 FCFA via Wave or Orange Money at +221 77 596 93 33, access activated within 24 working hours and for life. The numbered Kolonell Academy certificate, verifiable online via QR code and ready to add to LinkedIn, is earned by passing the module quizzes with at least 70 %; your final project must also be approved by a reviewer.
Can I try before paying?
Yes, module 1 is free. That is advisable, since access is not refundable once activated. For questions, you have the course forum and WhatsApp support.
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Take the next step. Enroll in E-commerce: selling online in Senegal and francophone Africa: 12 h, level 2 Beginner, 50,000 FCFA (about 76 EUR / 82 USD), 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.
