The verdict in three sentences
A shopkeeper in Thiès who keeps stock in a notebook often loses 5 to 10% of goods without knowing where, for lack of reliable figures. An Excel workbook with stock in, stock out and daily cash replaces point-of-sale software at 15,000 to 40,000 FCFA per month for most shops and hardware stores. You just need to build it properly: that is what the Kolonell Academy practical Excel course at 75,000 FCFA (about 115 EUR) teaches.
Notebook, POS software or Excel: the real cost over a year
In Thiès, around the central market, the Dakar road or Randoulène, many hardware stores, grocery shops and drinks depots still run on a notebook. The notebook costs nothing, but it never tells you which item is missing, or how much you really earned last week.
| Solution | 2026 annual cost (estimate) | Unexplained stock losses | Daily cash close time | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notebook and calculator | 5,000 FCFA | 5 to 10% | 30 to 45 min | Copying errors, no usable history |
| Subscription POS software | 180,000 to 480,000 FCFA (275 to 730 EUR) | 1 to 3% | 5 to 10 min | Subscription, connectivity, hardware |
| Well-built Excel or Google Sheets workbook | 0 FCFA (existing computer or phone) | 2 to 4% | 10 to 15 min | Daily data entry discipline |
| Excel + Kolonell course (one-off) | 75,000 FCFA in year one | 2 to 4% | 10 to 15 min | No subscription afterwards |
For a hardware store holding 6,000,000 FCFA of stock, going from 7% to 3% losses preserves about 240,000 FCFA (about 366 EUR) per turnover cycle. That is the main reason to leave the notebook behind.
The three dashboards to build
The course Practical Excel: tables, formulas and analysis for work, taught in French, has you build a workbook that tracks sales, stock and budget in Excel or Google Sheets. It is level 3 of the Office and productivity track. Here are the three ready-to-use dashboards a shopkeeper can take from it.
| Dashboard | What it shows | Formulas used | Daily entry time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock | Quantity per item, alert threshold, stock value | SUMIF, XLOOKUP, conditional formatting | 5 to 10 min |
| Daily cash | Cash in, cash out, gap with counted money, Wave and Orange Money payments | SUM, IF, filters | 5 min |
| Sales and margin | Top 10 items, margin per family, month-on-month comparison | Pivot table, charts | 0 min (automatic) |
| Suppliers | Debts, due dates, compared purchase prices | Data validation, dates | 2 to 3 min |
| Monthly budget | Rent, salaries, electricity, remaining margin | Absolute references, totals | 10 min per month |
The alert threshold often pays off first: a cell turns red when cement, bulbs or cooking oil drop below 10 units, and you reorder before running out.
What it costs to learn Excel in Thiès
| Option | 2026 cost | Duration | Suited to retail? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free YouTube tutorials | 0 FCFA | Variable | Rarely, examples in euros |
| Classroom course in Thiès or Dakar | 50,000 to 150,000 FCFA | 2 to 4 weeks | Sometimes, travel needed |
| Kolonell Academy, Practical Excel (level 3) | 75,000 FCFA (about 115 EUR) | 14 h, self-paced | Yes: sales, stock, cash, budget |
| Full Office track (5 levels) | 350,000 FCFA instead of 450,000 | 5 courses | For a stock manager or assistant role |
The course is taken on a computer, with a certificate at the end. Stock managers and storekeepers can also put it on their CV: Excel skills appear in a large share of stock management job ads published in Senegal.
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.
Modou, 38, runs a hardware store near the central market in Thiès with about 6,000,000 FCFA of stock. His stock counts show a 7% gap every quarter, or 420,000 FCFA. After the 75,000 FCFA course, he sets up the stock dashboard with alert thresholds and the daily cash sheet. The next quarter the gap falls to 3%, or 180,000 FCFA. The estimated gain, 240,000 FCFA per quarter, pays back the course in just over 4 weeks. He also avoids the 25,000 FCFA monthly subscription he had been offered. These amounts are estimates; every shop is different.
FAQ
Do I need to buy Excel?
No, Google Sheets is free and the course works with both. A second-hand computer at 120,000 to 200,000 FCFA is enough, and daily entry can be done on a phone.
I have never used Excel. Is it too hard?
It is level 3, intermediate, 14 hours long. If you are completely new to computers, start with the first levels of the Office track, or take the full track at 350,000 FCFA instead of 450,000.
Can Excel track Wave and Orange Money payments?
Yes. A payment method column and a SUMIF give you the cash, Wave and Orange Money totals every evening, to check against your statements in under 5 minutes.
How many items can a workbook handle?
A well-built workbook easily handles 500 to 2,000 items, which covers almost every shop and hardware store in Thiès.
How do I pay and get the certificate?
The course costs 75,000 FCFA, payable by Wave or Orange Money. The Kolonell Academy certificate is issued at the end of the 14 hours.
Take the next step. Enroll in Practical Excel: tables, formulas and analysis for work: 14 h self-paced, taught in French, 75,000 FCFA, Kolonell Academy 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.
