The verdict in three sentences
In Bamako, many students and young graduates want to get into web development without a computer science degree, and the most direct entry point is still HTML and CSS. Kolonell's HTML and CSS: build and lay out a real website course (level 2 of the Web development track, 50,000 FCFA or about 76 EUR, 12 hours) has you build a responsive 4-page website for a small business, coded by hand and published online. As a 2026 order of magnitude, a simple showcase site sells for 100,000 to 300,000 FCFA to a small Malian business, so the course can pay for itself with a first contract, with no income guaranteed.
Why start with HTML and CSS in Bamako
Restaurants in ACI 2000, clinics in Badalabougou, private schools in Kalaban Coura, shops in Hamdallaye: many still have only a Facebook page. Yet their customers search on Google, from a phone, often on a slow connection. A light, mobile-friendly, well-structured site meets that need, and HTML and CSS are enough to build it.
| Skill | What you can deliver | Typical beginner price (2026 order of magnitude) | Track level |
|---|---|---|---|
| First HTML tags | Practice page | Not sellable | Level 1, Discover code |
| Semantic HTML and forms | Landing page with booking form | 75,000 to 150,000 FCFA | Level 2, HTML and CSS |
| CSS, Flexbox, Grid, responsive | 4 to 5 page showcase site | 100,000 to 300,000 FCFA | Level 2, HTML and CSS |
| JavaScript | Calculations, menus, interactions | Extra depending on the project | Level 3 |
| Online payment, back office | Site with content management or payment | Larger projects | Later levels |
| Established agency | Full showcase site with design and support | 400,000 to 1,500,000 FCFA | Outside the track |
These ranges are orders of magnitude seen in Bamako, Dakar and Abidjan in 2026. They vary with your portfolio, network and client size, and no income is guaranteed.
What learning costs in Bamako
In-person schools and training centres in Bamako offer web development programmes for 150,000 to 350,000 FCFA, over several weeks, on fixed schedules. Free online resources are plentiful but rarely corrected. Here is a realistic comparison.
| Option | Price (2026 order of magnitude) | Duration | Graded projects | Certificate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kolonell, HTML and CSS (level 2) | 50,000 FCFA (about 76 EUR) | 12 h online, self-paced | 2 projects graded on a rubric, 61 exercises | Yes, verifiable online |
| In-person training centre in Bamako | 150,000 to 350,000 FCFA | 4 to 12 weeks | Depends on the centre | Attestation |
| Free YouTube videos | 0 FCFA, excluding mobile data | Self-directed | No | No |
| Free online certifications | 0 FCFA | Self-directed, often in English | Automated tests | Yes, without a real project |
| Learning with a developer friend | Free | Varies | Occasional feedback | No |
To publish your first site, shared hosting starts around 2,000 FCFA a month, and a domain name costs a few thousand FCFA a year. A second-hand computer and a free code editor are enough.
The syllabus, from semantic HTML to going live
The HTML and CSS course to build your first real website is taught in French and assumes you have already written a few tags. If you are starting from zero, begin with level 1 of the track.
| Module | What you learn | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Semantic HTML | Structuring a multi-page site, metadata for Google and WhatsApp | Site skeleton |
| 2. Forms and accessibility | Fields, labels, validation | Accessible booking form |
| 3. CSS fundamentals | Colours, typography, box model, selectors | Restaurant landing page, graded project |
| 4. Flexbox, Grid and responsive | Mobile-first layout | Pages readable on a phone |
| 5. Maintainable CSS, performance, publishing | Lighter images, Lighthouse checks, going live | 4-page SME site online, graded project |
In total: 5 modules, 25 lessons, 61 corrected exercises and a quiz per module. The course belongs to the Web development track, whose 5 levels cost 350,000 FCFA instead of 450,000 FCFA. Level 3 moves on to JavaScript.
Mini case study
Learn this skill with Kolonell Academy
Short, practical online courses (taught in French), graded exercises, certificate. Pay with Wave or Orange Money.
Fatoumata, 22, a management student in Bamako, completes the 12 hours over three weeks of evenings. She finishes with a live 4-page site for a fictional SME, which she uses as her portfolio.
Her uncle runs a veterinary pharmacy in Sébénikoro and orders a 4-page showcase site for 150,000 FCFA. She pays hosting at 2,000 FCFA a month and a domain at about 7,000 FCFA a year, which she passes on to the client. Two months later, a driving school in her neighbourhood orders a landing page for 80,000 FCFA.
Calculation: 150,000 + 80,000 = 230,000 FCFA collected, minus the 50,000 FCFA course, gives 180,000 FCFA net from her first two contracts. The course is paid back by the first contract, about 5 weeks after enrolling. Illustrative example: results depend on your network and consistency.
FAQ
Do I need a computer science degree?
No. You only need to have written a few HTML tags, which level 1 of the track covers. The 12 hours of level 2 then start from a concrete small-business case.
Can I follow the course on a phone?
Lessons can be read on a phone, but coding comfortably calls for a computer, even second-hand. A free code editor and a browser are enough.
How much does it cost to put a site online?
Shared hosting starts around 2,000 FCFA a month and a domain costs a few thousand FCFA a year. Module 5 shows you how to publish and check the site with Lighthouse.
How much can I charge after the course?
As a 2026 order of magnitude, a beginner charges 75,000 to 150,000 FCFA for a landing page and 100,000 to 300,000 FCFA for a simple showcase site. No income is guaranteed; it depends on your portfolio and clients.
How do I pay from Mali?
The 50,000 FCFA enrollment is paid with Wave or Orange Money. The full 5-level Web development track costs 350,000 FCFA instead of 450,000 FCFA.
Take the next step. Enroll in HTML and CSS: build and lay out a real website: 12 hours, 50,000 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.
