The verdict in three sentences
From Ziguinchor, you can learn to code a real website without moving to Dakar: HTML and CSS are enough to deliver a landing page or a static showcase site to an SME. The course HTML and CSS: build and lay out a real website, taught in French, level 2 Beginner, 50,000 FCFA (76 EUR), 12 h, takes 3 to 4 weeks of evenings, with two projects including a 4-page showcase site published online. A beginner commonly bills a showcase site 100,000 to 300,000 FCFA (about 150 to 460 EUR) in 2026, so a single contract covers the course, though that income is not guaranteed.
Staying in Casamance or leaving to train: the real calculation
Many students at Assane Seck University and young self-learners think they must go to Dakar to learn web development. The numbers show the opposite at this level.
| Criterion | Free YouTube tutorials | In-person course in Dakar | Kolonell course, level 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost 2026 | 0 FCFA, excluding data | 150,000 to 400,000 FCFA | 50,000 FCFA (76 EUR), lifetime access |
| Ziguinchor-Dakar trip | None | Ferry or coach, about 15,000 to 30,000 FCFA return | None |
| Housing in Dakar | None | 50,000 to 100,000 FCFA a month | None |
| Support and correction | None | In class | Automatically marked code exercises, forum, WhatsApp |
| Projects delivered | Up to you | Variable | Restaurant landing page, then 4-page showcase site online |
| Certificate | None | Depends on the school | Numbered Kolonell Academy certificate, verifiable online |
Free tutorials remain useful as a complement. Their limit is the lack of order: you jump from video to video, often in English, with no finished project to show. Kolonell lessons are written and readable on a phone over 3G, but you need a computer, even a modest one, to code.
What you learn in 12 hours
| Module | Content | What you produce |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Semantic HTML (free preview) | Site plan, header, nav, main, section, footer tags, links, images | The structure of a showcase site |
| 2. Forms and accessibility | Contact and booking forms, contrast, WhatsApp sharing | A clean, accessible form |
| 3. CSS fundamentals | Cascade, specificity, box model, units, readable typography | Project 1: a restaurant landing page |
| 4. Flexbox, Grid and responsive | Navigation bar, service grids, mobile-first, mobile menu without JavaScript | A layout that holds on a phone |
| 5. Maintainable CSS and going live | CSS variables, WebP images, Netlify or GitHub Pages, Lighthouse | Final project: a published 4-page showcase site |
Prerequisite: having taken level 1 or already being able to write a simple HTML page with headings, links and images. Tools: VS Code and Google Chrome, both free. Hosting: free on Netlify or GitHub Pages; a .com domain costs 6,300 to 8,600 FCFA (10 to 13 EUR) a year, optional.
What you can bill, and the rest of the track
| Service | Indicative rate 2026 | Level required |
|---|---|---|
| Responsive landing page | 75,000 to 150,000 FCFA (115 to 230 EUR) | Level 2 HTML and CSS |
| Simple 4 to 5 page showcase site | 100,000 to 300,000 FCFA (150 to 460 EUR) | Level 2 and a portfolio |
| Updating an existing site | 15,000 to 50,000 FCFA (23 to 76 EUR) | Level 2 |
| Site with stored form data or payment | Higher | Levels 3 to 5 |
| Agency-built site | 400,000 to 1,500,000 FCFA (610 to 2,290 EUR) | Team |
In Ziguinchor, potential clients are not scarce: hotels and campements in Cap Skirring, downtown restaurants, private schools, and the many NGOs active in Casamance. Budgets are often tighter than in Dakar; start at the low end of the range and adjust. These amounts are 2026 orders of magnitude, with no guaranteed income.
This is the second level of the Web development track: JavaScript (level 3, 75,000 FCFA), React and Next.js (level 4, 100,000 FCFA), then Full-Stack JavaScript Developer (level 5). The full 5-level track costs 350,000 FCFA (about 535 EUR) instead of 450,000, and any level already bought is deducted.
Mini case study
Consider a hypothetical learner: Lamine, 22, a bachelor's student in Ziguinchor, who was considering three months in Dakar for a 250,000 FCFA course. With the trip (25,000 FCFA) and housing (3 x 60,000 FCFA), his budget would have reached 455,000 FCFA.
Learn this skill with Kolonell Academy
Short, practical online courses (taught in French), graded exercises, certificate. Pay with Wave or Orange Money.
Illustrative calculation: he takes level 2 at 50,000 FCFA, 4 hours a week for 3 weeks, and publishes his demonstration showcase site. If he signed a first site at 150,000 FCFA for a Cap Skirring campement, he would recover three times the course cost and save 405,000 FCFA compared with moving to Dakar. This calculation does not describe an achieved result: finding a first client takes time.
FAQ
I have never coded, can I start directly at level 2?
You can if you already know how to write an HTML page with headings, links and images. Otherwise, level 1 Discover code costs 25,000 FCFA for 6 h and prepares you for level 2.
My connection in Ziguinchor is slow, is that a problem?
No. Lessons are written, with no video to download, and work over 3G. Only the final publishing step needs a few minutes of stable connection.
Will my site really be online?
Yes. Module 5 has you publish the site for free on Netlify or GitHub Pages, then connect it if you wish to a .com domain at 6,300 to 8,600 FCFA a year.
How do I pay and when can I start?
You pay 50,000 FCFA (76 EUR) by Wave or Orange Money at +221 77 596 93 33, against a pro forma invoice. Access is activated within 24 working hours and is lifetime, updates included.
What certificate will I get?
A numbered Kolonell Academy certificate, verifiable online by QR code, after at least 70 % in the quizzes of all 5 modules and approval of your final project by a reviewer. For a client, your live site counts as much as the certificate.
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Take the next step. Enroll in HTML and CSS: build and lay out a real website: 12 h, 50,000 FCFA (76 EUR), Kolonell Academy certificate verifiable online. 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.
