The verdict in three sentences
If you work in Thiès and have never opened ChatGPT for your job, five hours of guided training are enough to draft your letters, summarize your documents and prepare your spreadsheets twice as fast. In-person workshops cost 30,000 to 75,000 FCFA for half a day, while a structured level 1 online course costs 25,000 FCFA and can be followed on a phone. The real gain is measured in time: 3 to 5 hours recovered per week on repetitive tasks, a 2026 order of magnitude seen among beginners who practice daily.
Why learn AI now if you work in Thiès
Thiès has thousands of office workers, teachers, central market traders and public service agents who spend part of their week writing, copying and formatting. These are exactly the tasks where an AI assistant such as ChatGPT, Gemini or Meta AI (already built into WhatsApp) saves the most time.
Access is not the barrier: an Android smartphone and a weekly data bundle of 1,000 to 2,000 FCFA are enough. The barrier is knowing what to ask, how to check the answer and which information you should never paste into the tool.
| Profile in Thiès | Repetitive task | Weekly time before | Time with AI (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative secretary | Letters, meeting minutes | 6 h | 3 h |
| Middle school teacher | Lesson plans, test papers | 5 h | 2 h 30 |
| Trader (fabrics, appliances) | WhatsApp customer messages, listings | 4 h | 1 h 30 |
| SME bookkeeper | Spreadsheet formatting, reminders | 5 h | 3 h |
| Association coordinator | Activity reports, grant applications | 4 h | 2 h |
| Town hall or public service agent | Memos, replies to citizens | 5 h | 3 h |
These figures are 2026 orders of magnitude: they assume regular practice for two to three weeks after the course. Without practice, the gain stays small.
Comparing training options in Thiès in 2026
There are three paths. Free YouTube tutorials are plentiful, but often in English, in no logical order and with nobody to correct your prompts. In-person workshops held in Thiès or Dakar provide structure, but cost more, require travel and rarely last more than half a day.
| Option | 2026 price | Duration | Follow-up and correction | Certificate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free YouTube tutorials | 0 FCFA (excluding data) | Unlimited, unordered | None | No |
| Free online certificates (international platforms) | 0 to 30,000 FCFA | 4 to 15 h, in English | Automatic quiz | Sometimes |
| In-person workshop in Thiès (half day) | 30,000 to 75,000 FCFA | 3 to 4 h | Oral, on site | Simple attendance note |
| Seminar in Dakar (with transport) | 60,000 to 120,000 FCFA | 1 day | Oral, on site | Attendance certificate |
| Kolonell Academy, level 1 Essential | 25,000 FCFA (38 EUR) | 5 h, in French | Corrected exercises, quizzes | Verifiable certificate |
The course Discover AI and use it this week is level 1 of the track and is taught in French. It covers four modules: understanding what AI really is, getting started with ChatGPT, Gemini or Meta AI on your phone, applying five concrete uses during the week, and knowing the limits, risks and good practices to protect your data.
What you will be able to do at each level of the track
Level 1 is only the entry point. The Artificial Intelligence track has five levels, from first use to AI consulting for companies. The full track costs 350,000 FCFA instead of 450,000 FCFA when you take all five levels together.
| Level | Course | Duration | What you can do at the end |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Discover AI and use it this week | 5 h | Write a clear prompt, check an answer, protect your data |
| 2 | Write, analyze and organize your work with AI | 10 h | Draft reports and emails, summarize long documents |
| 3 | Generative AI for professionals | 12 h | Produce content and offers, sell services |
| 4 | Automate your work with AI | 20 h | Chain tasks together without writing code |
| 5 | AI consultant | 50 h | Scope and deliver an AI assignment for a company |
For a beginner, the right move is to start at level 1, practice for two weeks, then decide whether to move up to level 2.
Learn this skill with Kolonell Academy
Short, practical online courses (taught in French), graded exercises, certificate. Pay with Wave or Orange Money.
Mini case study
Illustrative example: Fatou, 31, a secretary at a transport company in Thiès, spends about 6 hours a week on letters, meeting minutes and invoice reminders. She takes level 1 (25,000 FCFA) over three evenings.
After two weeks of practice, she produces a first draft of a letter in 5 minutes instead of 20 and proofreads every answer before sending it. She estimates she saves 3 hours a week. On a salary of 180,000 FCFA for about 173 hours a month, one hour of her work is worth roughly 1,040 FCFA. Three hours a week amount to about 12,500 FCFA of time per month redirected to more useful tasks. The course pays for itself in about two months, and Fatou can offer to train her colleagues.
FAQ
Do I need a computer to follow the course?
No, an Android smartphone or an iPhone is enough, since tools like ChatGPT, Gemini and Meta AI run on phones. Plan for about 1 to 2 GB of data for the 5 hours of content and exercises.
Is ChatGPT paid?
The free version is more than enough to start in 2026. The paid plan costs about 20 USD a month (around 12,000 FCFA), only useful if you use it several hours a day.
Can I put my company's documents into ChatGPT?
Not just any documents: never ID card numbers, named salaries or customer data. Module 4 of the course devotes a full section to data protection rules, in line with Senegal's Law 2008-12.
How long before I see results?
Most beginners save their first hours in the very first week, provided they practice 15 to 20 minutes a day. The 3 to 5 hours saved per week are an order of magnitude, not a guarantee.
Is the certificate worth anything?
The Kolonell Academy certificate can be verified online by a recruiter. It proves you completed the 5 hours and passed the quizzes, a useful addition to a CV for an administrative position.
Take the next step. Enroll in Discover AI and use it this week: 5 hours taught in French, 25,000 FCFA, verifiable 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.
