The verdict in three sentences
In Thiès, Excel remains the most tested skill in interviews for accounting assistants, stock managers and administrative assistants. A classroom course costs 100,000 to 150,000 FCFA, while Kolonell's online course costs 75,000 FCFA for 14 hours (about 115 EUR or 125 USD), with real cases in FCFA and a verifiable certificate. Aim for a course that makes you build real tools (sales log, stock, invoice, budget) rather than a list of functions to memorise.
What Thiès employers really expect in Excel
An accounting firm downtown, an agri-processing SME, a wholesale hardware store, an NGO active in the region: employers in Thiès do not ask for a macro expert. They want someone who keeps a clean table, calculates 18 % VAT without errors, finds a price with XLOOKUP and produces a monthly summary in a few clicks.
The classic interview test takes 20 minutes: a messy sales file, three questions from the manager. How much did each salesperson sell this month? Which products are below the stock threshold? What is the margin by category? A candidate who masters pivot tables answers in thirty seconds; the others reach for the calculator.
Price of an Excel course in Thiès and online in 2026
| Option | 2026 price (estimate) | Length | Certificate | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Training centre in Thiès | 100,000 to 150,000 FCFA | 20 to 30 h over 4 to 6 weeks | Centre attestation | Fixed hours, group pace |
| Private lessons | 7,500 to 12,000 FCFA per hour | 15 h, i.e. 110,000 to 180,000 FCFA | No | Improvised syllabus |
| Course in Dakar with travel | 120,000 to 200,000 FCFA plus transport | 3 to 5 days | Yes | Time off work, accommodation |
| YouTube tutorials | 0 FCFA (excluding data) | Unlimited | No | No corrected exercises or progression |
| International online certificates | 0 to 50,000 FCFA | 6 to 20 h | Yes, often in English | Examples in euros or dollars |
| Kolonell, Practical Excel (level 3) | 75,000 FCFA (about 115 EUR) | 14 h, self-paced | Verifiable certificate | Computer basics recommended |
The course Practical Excel: tables, formulas and analysis for work, taught in French, is level 3 of 5 in the Office and productivity track. It works with Excel 2021 or Microsoft 365, and also with free Google Sheets, which is enough for 90 % of the exercises.
The 6-module syllabus
| Module | What you learn | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Build a clean table | FCFA formats, dates, structured table, frozen panes | A reliable data table |
| 2. Essential formulas | SUM, AVERAGE, absolute references ($), margins, discounts, 18 % VAT | Your price table |
| 3. Logical and lookup functions | IF, COUNTIF, SUMIFS, XLOOKUP, #N/A and #DIV/0! errors | Automated price and sales table |
| 4. Sort, filter, make data talk | Filters, conditional formatting, drop-down lists, cleaning | Stock sheet with stock-out alerts |
| 5. Pivot tables and charts | Pivot table in five clicks, grouping by month, mini dashboard | Monthly analysis and two charts |
| 6. Ready-to-use management tools | Wave, Orange Money and cash till, stock, invoice, budget | Invoice template and monthly budget |
Excel-related salaries and income in 2026
| Profile (Thiès and Dakar) | 2026 salary or rate (estimate) |
|---|---|
| Entry-level accounting assistant | 150,000 to 250,000 FCFA gross per month |
| Assistant or manager comfortable with pivot tables and XLOOKUP | 180,000 to 350,000 FCFA gross per month |
| Stock manager | 150,000 to 280,000 FCFA gross per month |
| Average formal-sector salary in Dakar (reference) | 280,000 to 350,000 FCFA per month |
| Custom management workbook as a freelancer | 30,000 to 150,000 FCFA per job |
No income is guaranteed: these amounts depend on the sector and the employer. The full 5-level track, up to the executive assistant role, costs 350,000 FCFA instead of 450,000.
Mini case study
Fatou, 26, holds a vocational diploma in accounting in Thiès (fictional character) and moves from one internship to the next at 50,000 FCFA a month. She fails the Excel interview test twice: she calculates totals by hand.
Learn this skill with Kolonell Academy
Short, practical online courses (taught in French), graded exercises, certificate. Pay with Wave or Orange Money.
She takes the Kolonell course for 75,000 FCFA, paid with Orange Money, 3 hours a week for five weeks. In module 3 she builds an automated price and sales table for a fictional shop, which she later shows in interviews on her laptop.
Three months later, she lands an accounting assistant job at 170,000 FCFA gross per month. The maths: compared with her internship, she gains 120,000 FCFA a month. The course is paid back in less than three weeks of extra salary. She also saved at least 25,000 FCFA compared with the cheapest classroom option in Thiès.
FAQ
Excel or Google Sheets?
Both. Lessons are written for Excel and every important difference with Google Sheets is flagged; free Google Sheets is enough for 90 % of the exercises.
I am not good at maths. Will I keep up?
Yes. You only need addition, multiplication and percentages on a calculator; every formula is explained on a concrete case in FCFA.
Is the certificate recognised?
It is a Kolonell certificate verifiable online: a recruiter can check it in seconds. Even more convincing is showing the 6 tools you built in 14 hours during the interview.
Do I need levels 1 and 2 first?
They are recommended if you are slow on a computer. If you already organise your files and use a word processor, you can start directly at level 3 for 75,000 FCFA.
How much time should I plan?
Allow 14 hours, about five weeks at 3 hours a week. You progress at your own pace, from Thiès, with no travel.
Take the next step. Enroll in Practical Excel: tables, formulas and analysis for work: 14 self-paced hours in French, 75,000 FCFA (about 115 EUR), verifiable certificate. 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.
