The verdict in three sentences
In Daloa, many traders already sell on WhatsApp, but between family messages, "how much?" asked twenty times a day and orders kept in memory, sales slip away every week. The Sell on WhatsApp course (level 1 Beginner, 25,000 FCFA, 5 h) can be completed in 7 days at about 45 minutes a day, entirely on your phone. By the end of the week you have an operational WhatsApp shop, which is the program's final project.
The 7-day plan
The Sell on WhatsApp: catalogue, orders and payment course, taught in French, has three modules, ten 15-minute written lessons, an exercise applied to your own business after each lesson, plus a PDF handout and a quiz per module. Here is how to spread those 5 hours over a week, following the program order.
| Day | What you do | What you have by evening |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Switch to WhatsApp Business, dedicated number, profile, hours, delivery area | Account set up, wa.me link and printable QR code |
| Day 2 | Photograph and publish the first 5 products with prices in FCFA | Half the catalogue online |
| Day 3 | Reach at least 10 products, sorted into 2 or 3 collections | Full catalogue, for example "Attiéké and cassava", "Rice and grains", "Condiments" |
| Day 4 | Greeting message, away message, at least 5 quick replies | A shop that answers even while you are at the market |
| Day 5 | 5 tracking labels and a 6-column Google Sheets order log | Every order visible: new request, to pay, paid, to deliver, delivered |
| Day 6 | Payment rule for Wave, Orange Money, cash on delivery, deposit | A 5-line written rule, payments checked in the app |
| Day 7 | Status and broadcast-list plan for the next 7 days | Follow-ups ready without being reported as spam |
Module 1 (days 1 to 4) is a free preview: you can do the first four days before paying, then decide. Module 2 covers day 5, module 3 covers days 6 and 7.
What changes for a Daloa trader
Daloa is a major hub of the Centre-West: staple foods, cocoa, wax prints, cosmetics, spare parts. Customers call from Issia, Vavoua or Abidjan, and more and more orders are paid by mobile money. The program stresses a point that matters here: check every payment in the Wave or Orange Money app, never on a screenshot, because fake screenshots exist.
| Before | Tool learned | After the week |
|---|---|---|
| Retyping price and description 20 times a day | Catalogue and quick replies | A product link sent in seconds |
| Orders kept in your head or a notebook | 6-column Google Sheets log | One row per order, filled in 30 seconds |
| Customers mixed with family | Dedicated number and labels | Each customer tagged by order stage |
| Payment screenshot accepted without checking | 5-line payment rule | Delivery only after checking in the app |
| Random follow-ups, sometimes reported | Statuses and broadcast lists | A 7-day plan, no spamming |
On results, the course page gives an order of magnitude observed in Dakar in 2026: a well-run WhatsApp shop often handles 5 to 15 orders a week at the start, or 150,000 to 600,000 FCFA in monthly revenue (about 230 to 915 EUR) depending on average basket. This is a benchmark, not a promise: it all depends on the product, the price and your consistency.
Prerequisites: an Android phone or iPhone and a regular connection, even 3G. Ideally a second SIM (Orange, MTN or Moov) for the shop number; lesson 1 also explains how to keep your current number. No online selling experience is required. The WhatsApp Business app is free.
What learning costs
| Option | Indicative 2026 cost | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free videos on social media | 0 FCFA (excluding data) | Scattered tips, nothing on verifying payments |
| One-off in-person workshop in Daloa (order of magnitude) | 10,000 to 30,000 FCFA | Half a day, no project follow-through |
| Kolonell Academy, level 1 | 25,000 FCFA (38 EUR), 5 h | 3 modules, final project, verifiable certificate |
| Full E-commerce track (5 levels) | 350,000 FCFA instead of 450,000 | From WhatsApp to a structured online store |
This course is level 1 of the E-commerce and Online Selling track. Level 2, "E-commerce: selling online in Senegal", then covers pricing, delivery to regions and the diaspora, and Facebook, Instagram and Google. By passing the quizzes at 70% minimum, you receive a numbered Kolonell Academy certificate, verifiable online (QR code), to add to LinkedIn.
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.
Consider a hypothetical learner: Adjoua, 31, sells attiéké, gari and plantain at Daloa's main market and delivers to a few customers in town. Her average basket is 6,000 FCFA.
Illustrative calculation: if, once her WhatsApp shop is set up, she handles 2 extra orders a week that used to slip away, that is 12,000 FCFA of additional weekly sales. At a 30% margin, she would earn about 3,600 FCFA a week, and the 25,000 FCFA course would pay for itself in about 7 weeks. This is only a hypothetical calculation: the real result depends on her products and her consistency.
FAQ
Is WhatsApp Business paid?
No, the app is free on Android and iPhone. Only some Meta options (Meta Verified, ads to WhatsApp) are paid, and the course does not need them.
Can I really do it all in 7 days?
The program is about 5 hours: ten 15-minute lessons, their exercises and the final project. At 45 minutes a day, a week is usually enough; you can also go slower, access is lifetime.
I have no stock yet. Can I start?
Yes. You can build the catalogue with 10 pre-order products or items from a wholesaler and simulate the first orders in the log. The final project accepts this if you say so.
Does the method work with MTN Mobile Money or Moov Money?
Yes. The examples use Wave and Orange Money, but the verification rule is the same with MTN or Moov: check the payment in the app before delivering.
How do I enroll and when do I get access?
You pay 25,000 FCFA by Wave or Orange Money, and access is activated within 24 working hours. Do the free module 1 first: once access is activated, the course is not refundable. Questions go on the course forum or through WhatsApp support.
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Take the next step. Enroll in Sell on WhatsApp: catalogue, orders and payment: 5 h, level 1 Beginner, 25,000 FCFA (38 EUR), verifiable Kolonell Academy 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.
