The verdict in three sentences
In Dakar, almost every front-end developer job now asks for React, and increasingly Next.js, for SME ordering apps, booking apps and customer portals. If you already know HTML, CSS and JavaScript basics, what you mostly lack is two live applications to show, not a 1,000,000 FCFA bootcamp. The course React and Next.js: building modern web applications (level 4, 100,000 FCFA, about 152 EUR or 172 USD, 24 h, taught in French) is built precisely around those two projects.
What React is worth on the Dakar market in 2026
Salaries mostly depend on what you can prove: a clean GitHub repository and a deployed application weigh more than a list of technologies on a CV.
| Profile in Dakar (2026 order of magnitude) | Monthly net salary | What is expected |
|---|---|---|
| Developer intern | 50,000 to 150,000 FCFA | JavaScript basics, eagerness to learn |
| Junior React developer | 200,000 to 400,000 FCFA | Components, state, API calls, Git |
| Junior in a fast-growing start-up | Up to 500,000 FCFA | Next.js, tests, autonomy |
| Mid-level React developer (3+ years) | 400,000 to 800,000 FCFA | Architecture, performance, code review |
| Freelance: SME ordering or booking app | 400,000 to 1,200,000 FCFA per project | Deliver, test, deploy |
| Freelance: fuller app with admin area | 1,000,000 FCFA and more | Authentication, database, maintenance |
Moving from 350,000 to 800,000 FCFA rarely comes from another degree. It comes from delivered projects that are fast on mobile networks and from the ability to work with server-side Next.js. These amounts are market benchmarks; no income is guaranteed.
Bootcamp, university or online course: comparing options
| Option in Dakar | 2026 price | Duration | What you produce |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official react.dev docs and YouTube | 0 FCFA | Variable | Isolated exercises, no grading |
| Free online certificates (freeCodeCamp and others) | 0 FCFA | 40 to 300 h | Standard projects, poorly suited to local SMEs |
| In-person React or full-stack bootcamp | 500,000 to 1,500,000 FCFA | 2 to 6 months | A group project, a network |
| Kolonell React and Next.js course for web applications | 100,000 FCFA (about 152 EUR / 172 USD) | 24 h, 8 modules, 40 lessons | 2 live apps, 8 graded projects, 97 corrected exercises, certificate |
| Full Web development track (5 levels) | 350,000 FCFA instead of 450,000 (about 534 EUR / 605 USD) | Progressive | From first code to full-stack |
The first half of the course covers React: components and props, state and events, validated forms, data loading and custom hooks, global state with useReducer and Context. The second half moves to Next.js with the App Router, Server Components, Server Actions validated with Zod, a protected admin area, then testing with Vitest, performance on mobile networks and deployment on Vercel. The two common threads are online ordering for a restaurant in Thiès in React and bookings for a beauty salon in Next.js.
This is level 4 of the Web development track. It assumes level 3 (JavaScript) or equivalent command of functions, arrays, objects, DOM, modules and fetch. Plan 4 to 5 hours a week for 5 to 6 weeks and a computer with Node, VS Code and Git.
Mini case study
Ibrahima, 23, a computer science graduate in Dakar, does freelance HTML and CSS integration for about 150,000 FCFA a month. He invests 100,000 FCFA in the course and finishes it in 6 weeks. With his two live applications, he lands a booking app project for a clinic at 600,000 FCFA, delivered in 5 weeks. A single project pays back the course six times over. If he prefers employment, a junior job at 300,000 FCFA a month means 150,000 FCFA more than his current income: the course is paid back in under 3 weeks of salary.
Learn this skill with Kolonell Academy
Short, practical online courses (taught in French), graded exercises, certificate. Pay with Wave or Orange Money.
FAQ
Do I need to have taken level 3 JavaScript?
It is recommended, not mandatory. If you can already use map and filter, manipulate the DOM and call an API with fetch, you can start this 24-hour course directly.
Why React and Next.js rather than Vue or Angular?
React remains the most requested library in front-end job ads in 2026, in Dakar and for remote work. Next.js adds server rendering and SEO, useful for SME websites and apps.
Is the course enough to get hired?
No course guarantees a job. It gives you 8 graded projects and 2 deployed apps to present, which matches what most junior interviews at 200,000 to 400,000 FCFA ask for.
What computer do I need?
A computer able to run Node 22, VS Code and Chrome, ideally with 8 GB of RAM. The course is online, taught in French, and can be followed from Dakar or anywhere else.
How do I pay the 100,000 FCFA?
By Wave or Orange Money at enrolment.
Take the next step. Enroll in React and Next.js: building modern web applications: 24 h online, 100,000 FCFA (about 152 EUR / 172 USD), verifiable online 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.
