The verdict in three sentences
For an agro-industrial group with 2,500 employees receiving 6,000 applications a year by email, a custom recruitment portal costs 7 to 14 million FCFA (about 10,700 to 21,300 EUR) in 2026, with a 3-month timeline. A bilingual careers page, structured CV screening and SMS interview invitations cut screening time by about 60 %. The talent pool must comply with data protection law (Cameroon's 2024 law, the GDPR in Germany), which rules out a shared inbox as a storage tool.
In Berlin, development rates are 2.5 to 3.5 times higher than in Yaoundé, so the same portal usually costs 35,000 to 70,000 EUR, and works council (Betriebsrat) consultation adds a few weeks. The structure of the decision stays the same.
What the portal includes
In an industrial group, hiring ranges from finance managers at headquarters to plantation or plant supervisors and seasonal workers. The portal must handle very different profiles without multiplying tools.
| Module | Function | Indicative 2026 cost |
|---|---|---|
| Bilingual careers page | Jobs by site and role, 3-minute mobile application | 1.5 to 2.5 M FCFA (2,300 to 3,800 EUR) |
| Structured application forms | Screening questions, attachments, data consent | 0.8 to 1.5 M FCFA (1,200 to 2,300 EUR) |
| CV screening and scorecards | Criteria filters, scorecard rating, manager comments | 1.5 to 3 M FCFA (2,300 to 4,600 EUR) |
| SMS and email invitations | Interview invites, reminders, attendance confirmation | 0.7 to 1.5 M FCFA (1,100 to 2,300 EUR) |
| Talent pool | Search past applications, retention periods, access and deletion rights | 1 to 2.5 M FCFA (1,500 to 3,800 EUR) |
| HR dashboard | Time to hire, application sources, open roles by site | 0.8 to 1.5 M FCFA (1,200 to 2,300 EUR) |
| HRIS or payroll connection | Employee record created at hire | 0.7 to 1.5 M FCFA (1,100 to 2,300 EUR) |
A first version (careers page, forms, screening, invitations) starts around 7 million FCFA. The full talent pool, dashboard and HRIS connection push the budget to 12 to 14 million FCFA.
Shared inbox, off-the-shelf ATS or custom
International applicant tracking systems charge per recruiter or per job, usually in euros or dollars, and rarely handle SMS invitations or applicants without email.
| Criterion | Shared inbox | SaaS ATS | Custom portal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | None | 0 to 1.5 M FCFA | 7 to 14 M FCFA |
| Recurring cost | Lost time | 3 to 9 M FCFA (4,600 to 13,700 EUR) a year for 5 to 10 recruiters | 10 to 15 % of project a year |
| Applicants without email | Impossible | Rare | Phone and SMS code |
| SMS invitations | Manual | Paid add-on or missing | Native |
| Data protection compliance | Non-compliant | Hosting often abroad | Hosting and retention controlled |
| Bilingual | Depends on writers | Yes | Yes |
| Setup time | Immediate | 2 to 6 weeks | 3 months |
Over three years, a SaaS at 6 million FCFA a year costs 18 million FCFA, against 10 million FCFA plus about 3.6 million FCFA of maintenance for custom.
The 3-month plan
Month 1: map job types, write scorecards with managers, define retention periods and consent wording. Month 2: build the careers page, screening and invitations, with a demo every two weeks. Month 3: import recent applications, train recruiters and managers, open site by site. Also plan the data processing declaration with the authority set up by Cameroon's 2024 law, or a GDPR record of processing in Germany.
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Chantal, HR director of an agro-industrial group in Yaoundé, receives 6,000 applications a year. Her team spends about 10 minutes per application opening the email, reading, filing and replying, or 1,000 hours a year. With structured forms and scorecards, that drops by 60 %, saving 600 hours, the equivalent of 4 months of a recruiter's time. At 5,000 FCFA per loaded hour, that is 3 million FCFA a year. Adding 4 million FCFA of paid job ads saved thanks to the talent pool, the gain reaches 7 million FCFA (10,700 EUR) a year. For a 10 million FCFA portal, payback comes in about 17 months.
FAQ
How much does a custom recruitment portal cost?
From 7 million FCFA (10,700 EUR) for careers page, forms, screening and invitations, to 14 million FCFA (21,300 EUR) with full talent pool, dashboard and HRIS connection. In Berlin, expect 35,000 to 70,000 EUR.
How much screening time can we save?
About 60 % when moving from emailed CVs to structured applications with screening questions, a 2026 estimate observed on volumes of 3,000 to 10,000 applications a year.
What does data protection law require for candidate data?
A clear purpose, consent, limited retention and access and deletion rights. Keeping profiles for 2 years in the talent pool is common practice, to be validated with your legal adviser.
Can applicants without email apply?
Yes, with a phone number and an SMS code. This is essential for plantation, plant floor and seasonal roles.
How much do SMS invitations cost?
About 15 to 30 FCFA per SMS in Cameroon depending on operator and volume. For 3,000 invitations and reminders a year, the budget stays under 100,000 FCFA (150 EUR).
Let's scope your project. Tell us your application volumes and job types, and we will price a recruitment portal delivered in 3 months. 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.
