The verdict in three sentences
A bilingual FR/EN corporate website built by a West African agency costs 9,150-21,350 EUR (6,000,000-14,000,000 FCFA) in 2026, including design, a multilingual CMS and the first year of hosting and maintenance. The heaviest line item is not the design but the bilingual CMS and editorial governance (multi-level validation workflow). Expect 10 to 16 weeks from kickoff to launch, and a near-40% saving versus an equivalent European quote.
Cost breakdown
A corporate site is not an enlarged brochure site: it carries the executive brand and speaks to partners, candidates and sometimes investors. Below are the 2026 ranges seen in Dakar-based structured agencies (order of magnitude, EUR equivalents included).
| Line item | FCFA range | EUR equivalent | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery + UX + design | 2,500,000 - 5,000,000 | 3,810 - 7,620 | Workshops, sitemap, mockups |
| CMS + FR/EN multilingual | 3,000,000 - 6,000,000 | 4,570 - 9,150 | Editorial workflow, governance |
| Integrations (CRM, newsletter) | 800,000 - 2,500,000 | 1,220 - 3,810 | HubSpot, Salesforce, Mailchimp |
| Hosting + maintenance yr 1 | 800,000 - 2,000,000 | 1,220 - 3,050 | CDN, backups, monitoring |
| Technical SEO + copywriting | 700,000 - 1,500,000 | 1,070 - 2,285 | JSON-LD, hreflang, 15-30 pages |
| Project total | 6,000,000 - 14,000,000 | 9,150 - 21,350 | Depends on scope |
The spread is driven mainly by page count (15-30), multilingual scope and integrations. An investor portal or interactive annual report can add 3,050-6,100 EUR.
Why an international buyer chooses a francophone agency
| Criterion | Francophone Africa agency | Typical European agency |
|---|---|---|
| Bilingual FR/EN delivery | Native, no extra fee | Often outsourced translation |
| Day rate (senior dev) | 150 - 280 EUR | 450 - 700 EUR |
| Time-zone overlap with EU | GMT/GMT+1, full overlap | Same |
| West Africa market knowledge | Local, direct | Limited |
| Total project cost | -40% on average | Baseline |
For any company targeting West Africa, a francophone team removes the translation friction and local-market blind spots that inflate European projects.
Mini case study
Sarah, COO of a logistics group in Rotterdam, needs a bilingual corporate site to support West African expansion: 22 pages, press room, careers portal. Quote retained: design 6,400 EUR, multilingual CMS 7,300 EUR, integrations 2,285 EUR, year-1 maintenance 1,830 EUR. Total: 17,815 EUR, delivered in 14 weeks. An equivalent Dutch quote came in around 32,000 EUR, a 44% saving with no compromise on code or design quality.
FAQ
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Why does a corporate site cost more than a brochure site?
The premium comes from the CMS with editorial governance (multi-level validation), the multilingual scope and integrations. A brochure site stays under 2,285 EUR; a corporate build starts around 9,150 EUR.
Does the price include content writing?
Rarely in full. Writing and FR/EN translation of 15-30 pages runs 1,070-2,285 EUR. Clients who supply their own copy reduce this line.
What annual maintenance budget should I plan?
Budget 1,220-3,050 EUR per year for managed hosting, backups, 24/7 monitoring and security updates. An SLA contract guarantees 99.9% uptime.
How long until launch?
Between 10 and 16 weeks depending on scope. The limiting factor is client-side content validation, not development.
Is time-zone alignment a problem?
No. West African agencies operate on GMT/GMT+1, giving full working-day overlap with European clients, which is a key advantage over offshore Asian teams.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your scope (page count, languages, integrations), an indicative budget and your deadline, and we will frame a corporate site that fits. 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.
