The verdict in three sentences
A serious last-mile delivery MVP costs roughly 12,000,000 to 22,000,000 FCFA (EUR 18,300 to 33,500) and 12 weeks of development for three building blocks: merchant interface, courier app and back office, versus EUR 80,000 to 150,000 when quoted by a Singapore or European agency. Payments must cover from day one cash on delivery and mobile money (T-Money, Flooz in Togo) through an aggregator, with daily reconciliation per courier. Running costs stay modest, 60,000 to 150,000 FCFA (EUR 90 to 230) a month for servers, so break-even comes with a few hundred deliveries a day.
What the MVP must contain, and nothing more
The classic trap is trying to copy Grab, Glovo or Yango in version one. For a B2B startup delivering to pharmacies and supermarkets with 60 motorbike couriers, the MVP fits in a few flows:
- the merchant creates a delivery (address, landmark, amount to collect) from the web or WhatsApp;
- the dispatcher assigns it, or the algorithm suggests the nearest courier;
- the courier follows the route, takes a photo on handover and collects cash or mobile money;
- the back office tracks deliveries in real time and computes each merchant's payout.
In Lomé, addressing is still approximate in many districts (Adidogomé, Agoè, Bè). Plan a landmark field, location sharing via WhatsApp and one-tap calling of the recipient from the app: these details weigh more on success rate than any algorithm.
MVP budget line by line
| Building block | Scope | 2026 budget (FCFA) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merchant interface (web) | Delivery creation, history, invoices | 3,000,000 to 5,000,000 | 3 to 4 weeks |
| Courier app (Android) | Jobs, GPS, photo, cash collection, offline | 4,000,000 to 7,000,000 | 5 to 6 weeks |
| Back office and dispatch | Live map, assignment, reporting | 2,500,000 to 4,500,000 | 3 to 4 weeks |
| Payments and reconciliation | Mobile money aggregator, per-courier cash ledger | 1,000,000 to 2,000,000 | 2 weeks |
| Design, testing, project management | Field UX, acceptance with 5 couriers | 1,500,000 to 3,500,000 | Ongoing |
| MVP total | Three apps in production | 12,000,000 to 22,000,000 | 12 weeks |
At the fixed rate of 655.957 FCFA per euro, that is about EUR 18,300 to 33,500 (USD 20,000 to 36,500). The same scope priced by a Singapore or European agency usually lands between EUR 80,000 and 150,000, which is why a team that knows West African field conditions matters.
An Android-only version is enough at launch: more than 85 % of couriers in Lomé use entry-level Android phones, often with 2 GB of memory. The app must work on 3G and keep jobs in memory during network drops.
Monthly costs and payment fees
| Item | 2026 monthly cost (FCFA) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Servers and database | 60,000 to 150,000 | Depends on delivery volume |
| Maps and routing | 30,000 to 200,000 | OpenStreetMap cheaper than Google Maps |
| Notification SMS | 20,000 to 60,000 | About 15 to 25 FCFA per SMS |
| Mobile money aggregator fees | 2 to 3.5 % of amounts collected | Paygate Global, CinetPay or FedaPay |
| Ongoing maintenance | 400,000 to 900,000 | Fixes and small improvements |
| Google Play developer account | USD 25 one-off | About 15,000 FCFA |
Cash on delivery still dominates in 2026, often 50 to 70 % of collections. Daily courier-by-courier reconciliation is therefore critical: every evening the back office must show expected cash, mobile money received and the gap.
Mini case study
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Kossi, a Togolese founder who splits his time between Singapore and Lomé, runs a B2B delivery startup serving 40 pharmacies and 6 supermarkets with 60 motorbike couriers. He launches a 17,000,000 FCFA MVP (about EUR 25,900) delivered in 12 weeks, after a Singapore agency quoted him EUR 110,000.
After four months, the platform handles 350 deliveries a day, 26 days a month: 9,100 deliveries. On an average price of 1,200 FCFA, the startup keeps 30 %, or 360 FCFA per delivery: 3,276,000 FCFA of monthly gross margin. After 400,000 FCFA of servers, maps and SMS, about 2,876,000 FCFA remains each month. The MVP pays back in just under 6 months, before maintenance and overhead salaries.
FAQ
Can you launch a delivery MVP for less than 12,000,000 FCFA?
Yes, with a no-code tool and WhatsApp for 3,000,000 to 6,000,000 FCFA, but GPS tracking, reconciliation and scaling beyond 100 deliveries a day quickly become limits.
Which aggregator should handle T-Money and Flooz?
Paygate Global, CinetPay and FedaPay cover Togo with fees of 2 to 3.5 % per transaction in 2026. Also compare payout delays, from D+1 to D+3.
Do merchants need an iOS app?
Not at launch: a responsive web interface is enough and saves 4 to 6 weeks of extra development.
How long from MVP to version 2?
Budget 8 to 12 weeks and 8,000,000 to 15,000,000 FCFA to add route optimization, an API for large clients and a courier e-wallet.
Can the MVP support a fundraise?
Yes, provided you measure from day one the delivery success rate, average delay and margin per delivery: these are the metrics investors look at.
Let's scope your project. Describe your clients, courier fleet and collection methods: we price an MVP of 12,000,000 to 22,000,000 FCFA (EUR 18,300 to 33,500) deliverable in 12 weeks, with a plan per building block. 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.
