The verdict in three sentences
In Senegal, 75-85 % of traffic is mobile and a large share still browses on 3G. A performant brochure site targets a page weight < 800 KB and LCP < 3s on 3G, or visitors leave before discovering you. Budget FCFA 400,000-900,000 in optimisation to turn a slow site into a mobile lead machine.
What weighs a site down (and how to lighten it)
Speed on 3G is won first on weight. Here are the items that matter in 2026.
| Element | Typical unoptimised weight | After optimisation | Lever |
|---|---|---|---|
| Images | 2-4 MB | 400-700 KB | WebP/AVIF, -60 % |
| Fonts | 300-500 KB | 80-150 KB | subset, woff2 |
| JavaScript | 800 KB-1.5 MB | 150-350 KB | code splitting |
| CSS | 200-400 KB | 40-90 KB | purge, minify |
| Total page weight | 3.5-6 MB | < 800 KB |
Budget and hosting fit for the market
Performance also relies on hosting close to users and a caching strategy.
| Item | 2026 order of magnitude | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Performance optimisation | FCFA 400,000-900,000 | one-off |
| Edge/CDN hosting | FCFA 15,000-40,000/mo | cache near Dakar |
| WebP image compression | included | -60 % weight |
| Target LCP on 3G | < 3s | field measurement |
| Mobile traffic share | 75-85 % | top priority |
Mini case study
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Aminata, who runs a services SME in Dakar, had a site loading in 8s on 3G, weighing 5 MB. Result: 68 % of mobile visitors left before it rendered. After optimisation (weight cut to 720 KB, LCP to 2.8s), mobile bounce falls to 41 %. Across 3,000 mobile visits/month, that's about 800 more visitors retained. At a 4 % contact rate, that's 32 extra enquiries/month. The work cost FCFA 650,000, paid back in two months.
FAQ
Why target under 800 KB per page? On real 3G (1-3 Mbps), an 800 KB page loads in under 3 seconds; beyond that, load time climbs fast and visitors abandon. Weight is the first mobile lever.
Is WebP really worth it? Yes: it cuts image weight by 50-60 % versus JPEG at equal quality, with universal support in 2026. It's the quickest win.
How much does optimising a brochure site cost in Dakar? Between FCFA 400,000 and 900,000 depending on the starting state and page count, excluding a full redesign.
Local hosting or a CDN? A CDN with a cache near West Africa is often enough: expect FCFA 15,000-40,000/month for a low server response time.
Does performance improve mobile SEO? Yes. Google indexes mobile-first and factors in Core Web Vitals: a fast 3G site ranks and converts better.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your current site and target regions, and we'll measure 3G speed and quote the optimisation or a light redesign. 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.
