The verdict in three sentences
For an impact investor based in London, funding the website of a West African microfinance institution (MFI) is one of the cheapest ways to raise transparency across a portfolio. A regulator-ready site built in the region costs roughly 3.5 to 8 million FCFA (about 5,300 to 12,200 EUR, or 4,500 to 10,400 GBP) in 2026, against 30,000 to 70,000 GBP for a comparable scope from a London agency. What you are really paying for is accurate APR disclosure, audited financials online and a secure, lightweight site that works on 3G.
What regulators, co-funders and borrowers check online
An investor who funds a redesign should think in audiences. Each one looks for a specific proof, and a missing proof costs more than an extra page.
| Audience | What they check | Content required | Update frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| BCEAO and supervising ministry | Licence, governance, displayed effective rates | Licence number, organisation chart, fee schedule with APR | At every tariff change |
| Co-investors and DFIs | Social and financial performance | Audited statements, PAR 30, repayment rate | Annual, semi-annual for indicators |
| Rating agencies | Solidity, transparency | Annual report, auditor's report | Annual |
| Individual borrowers | Loan terms, nearest branch | Loan calculator, branch map, opening hours | Monthly |
| SME and group borrowers | Suitable products, disbursement time | Product sheets, documents list, account officer contact | Quarterly |
| Press and candidates | Culture, jobs, announcements | Careers page, press room | Ongoing |
One regulatory fact matters for your due diligence: in the WAEMU zone, the usury ceiling for decentralised financial systems is 24 %. A calculator showing an attractive nominal rate while the real effective rate, including fees and insurance, exceeds that ceiling creates a public, search-indexed compliance issue for your investee. The calculator must reproduce the exact method validated by the MFI's finance team.
On personal data, Togo's Law No. 2019-014 governs collection. An online loan application form must state its purpose, retention period and data controller, which is broadly familiar ground for anyone used to UK GDPR.
The budget, line by line, in 2026
The ranges below are 2026 orders of magnitude seen with agencies in Lomé, Cotonou and Dakar for an MFI with 5 to 40 branches, with a London benchmark for comparison.
| Item | West Africa market 2026 | Approx. GBP | London agency benchmark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scoping, sitemap, institutional copy | 500,000 to 1,200,000 FCFA | 650 to 1,550 GBP | 4,000 to 8,000 GBP |
| Custom design, mobile first | 700,000 to 1,500,000 FCFA | 900 to 1,950 GBP | 6,000 to 15,000 GBP |
| Development and CMS with approval workflow | 1,000,000 to 2,500,000 FCFA | 1,300 to 3,250 GBP | 12,000 to 30,000 GBP |
| Loan calculator with APR | 600,000 to 1,200,000 FCFA | 800 to 1,550 GBP | 4,000 to 9,000 GBP |
| Branch network map | 250,000 to 600,000 FCFA | 300 to 800 GBP | 2,000 to 4,000 GBP |
| Financial documents library | 200,000 to 500,000 FCFA | 250 to 650 GBP | 1,500 to 3,500 GBP |
| HTTPS + WAF security | 30,000 to 80,000 FCFA per month | 40 to 105 GBP per month | 150 to 400 GBP per month |
| Total project | 3,500,000 to 8,000,000 FCFA | 4,500 to 10,400 GBP | 30,000 to 70,000 GBP |
At Kolonell, an institutional site of this kind is quoted on request: the number of loan products, the languages and the integration with the core banking system change the estimate too much for a single public price. Monthly maintenance can rely on our public plans of 35,000, 75,000 or 120,000 FCFA per month (53, 114 or 183 EUR).
Four technical requirements to write into your grant agreement
- Hosting with a WAF and a valid TLS certificate: financial institutions are phishing targets, and cloned login pages circulate on WhatsApp.
- An approval workflow: no fee schedule goes live without sign-off from the compliance officer.
- Light pages: under 1.5 MB per page so the site stays usable on 3G in rural branches.
- A change log on financial documents, so an auditor can see what was published on a given date.
Mini case study
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Emma, investment manager at an impact fund in London, holds a stake in a 14-branch MFI in Togo. The MFI's branches receive about 900 calls a month asking basic questions: possible amount, term, monthly payment. Each call ties up a loan officer for 6 minutes on average, or 90 hours a month.
With an online calculator and a product FAQ, the MFI expects to absorb 40 % of those calls: 360 calls avoided, so 36 officer hours recovered every month. At a loaded cost of 2,500 FCFA per hour, the direct saving is 90,000 FCFA a month, about 1,080,000 FCFA (roughly 1,400 GBP) a year. A calculator budgeted at 900,000 FCFA (about 1,170 GBP) pays for itself in under 10 months. For Emma, the larger gain is reporting: the fund's ESG dashboard can link directly to audited statements and published APRs instead of chasing PDFs by email each quarter.
FAQ
Should the full financial statements be published online?
Co-investors and rating agencies expect it, and publishing audited accounts for the last three years has become standard practice. A document library with yearly archives costs 200,000 to 500,000 FCFA (about 250 to 650 GBP).
Can the calculator connect to the MFI's core banking system?
Yes, but it is not needed at launch. A standalone calculator using the official fee schedule covers 80 % of needs, and integration makes sense later for online applications with case tracking.
How long does the project take?
Plan 8 to 12 weeks, including 2 to 3 weeks of internal validation. The finance team usually sets the pace because it must approve every effective rate displayed.
How should a London fund structure the payment?
Most funds disburse through a technical assistance grant to the MFI, paid in milestones, for example 30 % at kick-off, 40 % at design sign-off and 30 % at go-live. Local payment in FCFA avoids currency friction for the institution.
Does the site need an English version?
French is enough for borrowers, while English helps attract further impact capital. Languages are set in the quote according to priority audiences.
Let's scope your project. Share the number of branches, the loan products to simulate and your next reporting deadline, and we will scope the work and the timeline with the MFI's management. Detailed quote within 48 h. 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.
