The verdict in three sentences
In Dakar, many online stores that bring in several million FCFA a month do not know whether they make money, because delivery refusals, advertising and salaries are tracked separately. Running an e-commerce business means reasoning in margin per delivered order and acquisition cost, then deciding with those two numbers. Kolonell Academy's level 5 is for managers who already sell and want to move from gut feeling to a dashboard.
The revenue trap: where your margin goes
A store selling 5 million FCFA a month can easily make less than 300,000 FCFA. The reason lies in a few items that are almost always underestimated.
| Item | 2026 order of magnitude in Dakar | Effect on margin |
|---|---|---|
| Acquisition cost (Meta, TikTok ads) | 1,500 to 6,000 FCFA per order | Can absorb half of gross margin |
| Delivery refusal rate | 10 to 25 % of orders | Delivery paid, product tied up |
| Delivery Dakar and suburbs | 1,500 to 3,000 FCFA per parcel | Pass on or build into price |
| Order picker | 80,000 to 150,000 FCFA per month | Fixed, even in slow months |
| Wave merchant fees | about 1 % | Orange Money depending on plan |
| Breakage, unsold, shrinkage | 2 to 5 % of stock | Rarely counted |
| Healthy target net margin | 10 to 20 % of revenue | Higher is rare without a strong brand |
Example: an average basket of 12,000 FCFA with 45 % gross margin leaves 5,400 FCFA. Subtract 4,000 FCFA of acquisition and 2,000 FCFA of delivery on one in five refused orders, and the "profitable" order turns into a loss. Management starts with this calculation, product by product.
The indicators a manager should track every week
| Indicator | Simple formula | Indicative alert threshold |
|---|---|---|
| Margin per delivered order | Gross margin - delivery - acquisition | Negative on a flagship product |
| Customer acquisition cost (CAC) | Ad budget ÷ delivered orders | Above 50 % of gross margin |
| Successful delivery rate | Delivered ÷ shipped | Below 80 % |
| 90-day repurchase rate | Returning customers ÷ customers | Below 15 % |
| Stock turnover | Sales ÷ average stock | Dormant stock beyond 60 days |
| Available cash | Cash - supplier debts due in 30 days | Less than one month of fixed costs |
These six numbers fit in one spreadsheet. Level 5 teaches you to build them from your actual sales, set decision rules (cut an ad, drop a product, require a deposit) and organise a team of 2 to 6 people with clear roles.
Choosing your course: options and 2026 prices
| Option | 2026 cost | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube tutorials and podcasts | 0 FCFA | Scattered ideas, few African figures |
| Private coaching in Dakar | 300,000 to 800,000 FCFA | Personalised, very variable quality |
| International online programme | 150,000 to 500,000 FCFA | Shopify methods, little mobile money |
| Kolonell Academy, level 5 | 200,000 FCFA | Margins, acquisition, team, Senegalese context |
| Full track (5 levels) | 350,000 FCFA instead of 450,000 | From first product to management |
The recommended course is Running an e-commerce business: margins, acquisition and team, level 5, 200,000 FCFA, about 48 hours of content, taught in French. It concludes the E-commerce and online selling track: if you are starting out, the 5 levels cost 350,000 FCFA instead of 450,000 FCFA, cheaper than buying the levels one by one.
Mini case study
Moussa, 34, runs an online cosmetics store in Dakar, in Parcelles Assainies. He handles 600 orders a month for revenue of 6 million FCFA (average basket 10,000 FCFA, gross margin 45 %, i.e. 2.7 million FCFA). He spends 1.8 million FCFA on ads, i.e. 3,000 FCFA per order, and 18 % of his parcels are refused.
Learn this skill with Kolonell Academy
Short, practical online courses (taught in French), graded exercises, certificate. Pay with Wave or Orange Money.
After applying the level 5 method, he requires a 2,000 FCFA Wave deposit on orders outside Dakar and cuts two ads whose acquisition cost exceeded 5,000 FCFA. Assumption: refusals drop to 10 % and the ad budget falls to 1.4 million FCFA for stable volume. Savings on ads: 400,000 FCFA. Savings on returns: 8 % of 600 parcels × 2,000 FCFA of lost delivery, i.e. 96,000 FCFA. Estimated monthly gain: nearly 500,000 FCFA, for a 200,000 FCFA course paid back in under two weeks. This scenario remains an illustrative estimate.
FAQ
From what revenue level is this course useful?
It becomes relevant once you exceed roughly 1 to 2 million FCFA in monthly sales or pay at least one person. Below that, levels 1 to 3 of the track are a better fit.
How much time does it take?
Allow about 48 hours of content, i.e. 4 to 6 weeks at 2 hours a day. The exercises are done directly on your own sales figures.
Does the course cover team management?
Yes. It covers hiring an order picker paid 80,000 to 150,000 FCFA a month, splitting roles and working with external couriers and service providers.
Do I need specific software?
No. A Google Sheets or Excel spreadsheet is enough to build the dashboard. The templates provided work for a WhatsApp store as well as a classic online store.
Can I pay in instalments?
Payment is made by Wave or Orange Money. For questions about payment terms, write on WhatsApp at +221 77 596 93 33 before enrolling.
Take the next step. Enroll in Running an e-commerce business: margins, acquisition and team: about 48 h, 200,000 FCFA, Kolonell Academy certificate at the end. 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.
