The verdict in three sentences
For a London holding with 5 subsidiaries in West Africa, a multi-entity web app sits in Kolonell's complex application tier: 7,000,000 to 15,000,000 FCFA (10,670 to 22,870 EUR, roughly GBP 9,000 to 19,500), for 14 to 20 weeks of development. Add cloud hosting of 50,000 to 150,000 FCFA a month (about EUR 80 to 230) as a market estimate, depending on volume, redundancy and server location. Payback comes less from the software than from the monthly close: moving from day 25 to day 8 changes how the board steers the group.
Why Excel files break down at 5 subsidiaries
Many UK-based groups with operations in Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Ghana or Nigeria (distribution, construction, agribusiness, services) receive a monthly sales, expenses and cash file from each subsidiary. Head office retypes them, fixes format gaps, converts currencies and produces a consolidated pack. With 5 subsidiaries this often takes 20 to 30 person-days a month, and errors surface at audit.
| Criterion | Excel files by email | Multi-entity app |
|---|---|---|
| Consolidation lead time | Day 20 to day 30 | Day 5 to day 10 |
| Head office time per month | 15 to 25 person-days | 3 to 6 person-days |
| Single source of truth | Several competing files | One database |
| Access control | File forwarded to anyone | Permissions by subsidiary, role and module |
| Audit trail | Weak, cells changed without history | Log of every change |
| Intercompany transactions | Matched by hand | Eliminated automatically |
| Chart of accounts | SYSCOHADA, Ghanaian and Nigerian IFRS charts mixed | Group chart with mappings |
What the app includes and what each block costs
The architecture uses one database with an entity identifier on every record, so the Abidjan subsidiary sees only its figures while London consolidates everything.
| Block | Scope | Share of budget (estimate) | Indicative timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multi-entity core | Entities, currencies (XOF, GHS, NGN, GBP), fiscal years, chart mappings | 15 to 18 % | 3 weeks |
| Permissions and security | Roles per subsidiary, two-level approval, two-factor authentication | 10 to 12 % | 2 weeks |
| Input and import | Forms, Excel import, exports from local accounting software | 15 to 18 % | 3 weeks |
| Consolidation | Aggregation, intercompany eliminations, FX translation, variance comments | 18 to 22 % | 3 to 4 weeks |
| Dashboards | Revenue, margin, cash, subsidiary comparison, budget vs actual | 15 to 18 % | 3 weeks |
| Degraded mode | Offline entry and sync for poorly connected sites | 8 to 10 % | 2 weeks |
| Data migration and training | 24 months of history, training for 10 to 20 users | 6 to 8 % | 1 to 2 weeks |
For hosting, the 2026 market range goes from 50,000 FCFA a month (one cloud server, daily backups) to 150,000 FCFA a month (replicated server, managed database, long retention). Application maintenance follows Kolonell's grid: 35,000, 75,000 or 120,000 FCFA per month depending on the level. Data protection spans UK GDPR at head office and local laws such as Senegal's law 2008-12 or Mali's law 2013-015 for subsidiary HR and customer data.
Decisions to settle before the quote
Three choices can double the budget. First, the accounting interface: importing monthly exports is cheap, a daily sync with each subsidiary's software costs 1,500,000 to 3,000,000 FCFA more. Second, functional scope: financial consolidation only, or also purchasing, stock and HR. Third, connectivity: if a subsidiary operates from a mining or rural site with unstable internet, offline mode becomes essential.
Mini case study
Illustrative example: James, group CFO of a London holding with 5 distribution subsidiaries (Dakar, Abidjan, Bamako, Accra, Lagos), mobilises 5 accountants for 5 days each month plus 6 days of his head office team, i.e. 31 person-days valued at an average 40,000 FCFA, about 1,240,000 FCFA a month.
- Chosen app: 10,000,000 FCFA, hosting 100,000 FCFA a month, Standard maintenance 75,000 FCFA a month.
- Time after rollout: 8 person-days a month, i.e. 320,000 FCFA.
- Net monthly saving: 1,240,000 minus 320,000 minus 175,000, i.e. 745,000 FCFA.
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The project pays back in about 13 to 14 months, before counting the value of a day 8 close for lenders, investors and the board.
FAQ
Do we need to replace subsidiaries' accounting software?
No, in most cases the app imports their monthly or weekly exports. Replacement only makes sense if 3 of 5 subsidiaries still keep their books in Excel.
Where should a group spanning the UK and West Africa host its data?
A UK or EU cloud region with encrypted backups works for 50,000 to 150,000 FCFA a month. Personal data transfers from African subsidiaries must respect local declaration rules, such as those of Senegal's CDP.
How do we handle several currencies?
The group picks a reporting currency, GBP or EUR, with monthly average and closing rates for XOF, GHS and NGN. This module adds 5 to 8 % to the budget.
How many users can the app support?
A standard architecture handles 50 to 300 users easily. Beyond that, hosting moves to the top of the range.
Can we start with a single subsidiary?
Yes, and it is recommended: a 4 to 6 week pilot on 1 or 2 subsidiaries validates formats before full rollout.
Let's scope your project. Send us the number of subsidiaries, their current accounting tools and the reports the board expects each month for a phased scope and a pilot schedule. Detailed quote within 48 h via our free quote page. 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.
