The verdict in three sentences
A maintenance retainer for a custom business app costs between 300,000 and 800,000 FCFA/month (approx. €460-1,220) in 2026, with a single fix ticket at 60,000 to 120,000 FCFA. Enhancements are billed at the local day rate (120,000 to 200,000 FCFA), and a priority SLA adds around 25%. For a Berlin IT lead, the in-house-vs-outsourced choice depends on in-house skill availability, not just the headline cost.
The 2026 maintenance line items
| Item | 2026 range | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance retainer | 300,000 – 800,000 FCFA/mo | monthly |
| Fix ticket | 60,000 – 120,000 FCFA | per unit |
| Enhancement day rate | 120,000 – 200,000 FCFA | per day |
| Hosting + monitoring | 100,000 – 300,000 FCFA/mo | monthly |
| Priority SLA | +25% | surcharge |
| Quarterly security updates | 250,000 FCFA | quarterly |
| On-call | optional | per contract |
In-house vs outsourced contract
| Criterion | In-house team | Outsourced contract |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | dev salary (400,000+ FCFA) | 300,000 – 800,000 FCFA |
| Skill availability | depends on hiring | immediate |
| Absence coverage | risky | guaranteed |
| Upskilling | you fund it | included |
| Formal SLA | rare | yes |
| Enhancement cost | staff time | day rate 120-200 K FCFA |
| Fits when | several apps | 1-2 applications |
2026 rule: below 2 applications to maintain, an outsourced contract is cheaper and covers absences; beyond that, an in-house team can pay off.
Mini case study
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Thomas, IT lead of a 45-person SME in Berlin, runs a custom order-management web app. He compares hiring a developer (loaded salary ~500,000 FCFA/month + overhead + absence risk) against an outsourced contract. He picks a maintenance retainer at 450,000 FCFA/month including hosting, monitoring and quarterly security updates, plus enhancements at the day rate. Over the year: 450,000 × 12 = 5,400,000 FCFA, with no absence risk or hiring cost, and a formal SLA. Decision made for the outsourced contract while he has just one critical application.
FAQ
How much is maintenance? Expect 300,000 to 800,000 FCFA/month for a retainer, depending on criticality and the enhancement volume included.
In-house or outsourced? Below 2 applications, outsourced is cheaper and covers absences; beyond that, an in-house team can be justified.
What does a priority SLA add? A guarantee of fast incident handling, for +25%. Useful for a revenue-generating app.
How much is an enhancement? Billed at the local day rate, i.e. 120,000 to 200,000 FCFA/day, on top of the corrective-maintenance retainer.
Are security updates included? Often optional: budget 250,000 FCFA/quarter for security updates if not bundled in the retainer.
Let's scope your project. Tell us how many applications you maintain, their criticality and your enhancement volume: we'll price the maintenance retainer and compare it with an in-house team. 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.
