The verdict in three sentences
In Thiès, most jobs as an accounting assistant, stock manager or office assistant now run on Excel, and recruiters test candidates on a real workbook. A profile able to build a reliable table and use SUMIFS, XLOOKUP and a pivot table commands, as a 2026 order of magnitude, 20 to 40% more than someone who redoes totals with a calculator. The Kolonell online course at 75,000 FCFA (about 115 EUR, 14 h, certificate) is the shortest and cheapest way to make that jump without leaving your job.
How much does an Excel course cost in Thiès in 2026
There are three routes for an employee or a BTS student in Thiès. The table compares the total cost, not just the listed fee: transport to Dakar, days off work and access to materials matter too.
| Option | 2026 price (FCFA) | Duration | Format | Certificate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kolonell Academy, Practical Excel (level 3) | 75,000 (about 115 EUR) | 14 h | Online, self-paced | Yes |
| Classroom course at a training center in Thiès | 100,000 to 150,000 | 20 to 30 h over 4 to 6 weeks | Evenings or Saturdays | Center certificate |
| Classroom course in Dakar | 120,000 to 180,000 | 2 to 5 days | In person | Certificate |
| Thiès-Dakar transport for a 5-day course | extra 15,000 to 25,000 | 1.5 to 2 h each way | Bus, TER or taxi | No |
| Free YouTube tutorials | 0 | Variable | No structured path | No |
| International online certificates | 25,000 to 60,000 | Variable | Mostly in English | Yes, rarely read locally |
The weakness of free videos is not their quality, it is the lack of a common thread and of exercises with FCFA figures. You learn one function, rarely a complete sales, cash or stock workbook.
The Practical Excel course: tables, formulas and analysis for work, taught in French, is level 3 of the Office Productivity track: 14 hours, 75,000 FCFA, FCFA and date formats, structured tables, absolute references, conditional functions, lookups, pivot tables and charts. It works with Excel or Google Sheets, so no license is required.
What Excel earns an accounting assistant or stock manager in Thiès
The salaries below are 2026 orders of magnitude seen in SMEs, accounting firms and distribution companies in the Thiès and Dakar area. They vary with company size, diploma and seniority.
| Job | Monthly salary without advanced Excel (FCFA) | With advanced Excel (FCFA) | Indicative gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting assistant in an SME | 150,000 to 200,000 | 190,000 to 250,000 | +20 to 30% |
| Assistant accountant in a firm | 180,000 to 250,000 | 230,000 to 330,000 | +25 to 35% |
| Stock manager (distribution, hardware) | 150,000 to 220,000 | 200,000 to 290,000 | +25 to 35% |
| Administrative and finance assistant | 170,000 to 240,000 | 220,000 to 330,000 | +30 to 40% |
| BTS accounting intern | 50,000 to 80,000 stipend | Faster hiring | Hiring advantage |
| Freelance data entry and spreadsheets for traders | 0 | 30,000 to 80,000 per client per month | Side income |
None of these amounts is guaranteed (for reference, 200,000 FCFA is about 305 EUR or 330 USD). What stays constant is the practical test at hiring: a recruiter hands you a sales file and asks for a total by product or by month. Someone who does it in five minutes with a pivot table stands out immediately.
What you learn, level by level
The full track has five levels. You can start directly at level 3 if you already know how to open a workbook, type data and add a sum.
| Track level | Course | Price (FCFA) | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Computer, files and email | 25,000 | 9 h |
| 2 | Professional Word | 50,000 | 10 h |
| 3 | Practical Excel: tables, formulas and analysis | 75,000 | 14 h |
| 4 | Complete Office pack | 100,000 | 22 h |
| 5 | Executive assistant | 200,000 | 47 h |
| Full track | All 5 levels | 350,000 instead of 450,000 | 102 h |
If you aim for an administrative or executive assistant job later, the Office and Productivity track costs 350,000 FCFA instead of 450,000 FCFA, a saving of 100,000 FCFA (about 150 EUR).
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.
Fatou, 26, holds a BTS in accounting and works as an accounting assistant at a food distribution company in Thiès, paid 170,000 FCFA a month. Every month-end, she spends about 12 hours copying sales from three outlets and redoing the totals.
After the course, she builds a single workbook with one structured table per outlet and a monthly pivot table. Reconciliation drops to 3 hours, saving 9 hours a month. Six months later, she lands an assistant accountant job at 215,000 FCFA, i.e. 45,000 FCFA more per month.
Calculation: 75,000 FCFA of training divided by a 45,000 FCFA monthly gain, the course pays for itself in under 2 months of salary, about 7 weeks. Over a year, the gross gain reaches 540,000 FCFA (about 825 EUR). It is an estimate, but it shows the order of magnitude.
FAQ
Do I need to own Excel to take the course?
No. The exercises also work with Google Sheets, free with a Google account. An entry-level laptop, found for around 150,000 to 250,000 FCFA second-hand, is plenty.
I am a BTS student in Thiès, is it too advanced for me?
Level 3 only assumes you can type data and add a simple sum. If you have never opened a spreadsheet, start with level 1 at 25,000 FCFA, about 9 hours.
How long does it take to finish?
The course lasts 14 hours. At 3 to 4 hours a week in the evening, most learners finish in 4 to 5 weeks without leaving their job.
Is the certificate recognized by employers?
It is a Kolonell Academy certificate, not a state diploma. It mainly backs up your CV, and what convinces the recruiter is the practical test, which you will have prepared on real FCFA cases.
How do I pay?
Enrollment is paid in one go, 75,000 FCFA, by Wave or Orange Money. Access to the modules opens as soon as payment is confirmed.
Take the next step. Enroll in Practical Excel: tables, formulas and analysis for work: 14 hours online, 75,000 FCFA (about 115 EUR), certificate included. 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.
