The verdict in three sentences
A bilingual EN/FR corporate site built to reach both English and French markets costs between 2,000,000 and 6,500,000 FCFA (about 3,050-9,910 EUR) depending on volume (15 to 30 pages) and animation depth. Going multilingual adds 20-30% over an equivalent single-language site, mostly in i18n handling, translation and linguistic QA. Expect a 6-to-10-week timeline and CDN hosting that guarantees loads under 3 seconds on 3G, a non-negotiable requirement for mobile-heavy international traffic.
What a bilingual site really costs
Price depends first on the number of pages actually translated and on editorial richness. Here are the 2026 orders of magnitude for a group targeting English- and French-speaking audiences.
| Tier | Pages (x2 languages) | Features | Price FCFA | Price EUR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essential bilingual | 15 pages | i18n, hreflang, forms, EN/FR blog | 2,000,000 - 2,800,000 | 3,050 - 4,270 |
| Corporate bilingual | 20-25 pages | + press room, careers, editorial CMS | 3,200,000 - 4,800,000 | 4,880 - 7,320 |
| Premium bilingual | 25-30 pages | + advanced animation, annual report, IR | 5,000,000 - 6,500,000 | 7,620 - 9,910 |
The multilingual premium is more than a translation line item: it touches architecture (/en/ and /fr/ routing), hreflang tags, duplicated CMS components and double QA. On a site priced at 25,000 FCFA per single-language page, the bilingual version comes to roughly 1.25 times the price, not double.
Translation, hosting and timelines: the line items
| Item | 2026 detail | Order of magnitude |
|---|---|---|
| Professional EN-FR translation | 25-45 EUR per 300 words | 400,000 - 900,000 FCFA |
| i18n + hreflang integration | routing, per-language sitemap | 350,000 - 600,000 FCFA |
| CDN hosting (Europe/Africa edge) | load < 3 s on 3G | 25,000 - 75,000 FCFA/month |
| Annual maintenance | 15-20% of build | 400,000 - 1,200,000 FCFA/year |
| Delivery timeline | 15 to 30 bilingual pages | 6 to 10 weeks |
Machine translation alone (DeepL, Google) costs almost nothing but destroys the credibility of a premium group: choose reviewed professional translation, especially on investor and legal pages. The CDN is not optional either: without edge caching, a visitor on 3G waits 6-8 seconds, and 53% abandon before render.
Mini case study
James, communications director of an agri-industrial group in London, wants to reach French-speaking buyers across West Africa. He picks a Corporate bilingual build at 4,200,000 FCFA, 22 EN/FR pages, with professional translation at 650,000 FCFA and CDN at 45,000 FCFA/month. Over 8 months, French-speaking inbound enquiries rise from 4 to 19 per month. With an average B2B deal of 8,000,000 FCFA and a 6% conversion rate, that is roughly 9,000,000 FCFA of incremental annual revenue, delivering payback within the first operating quarter.
FAQ
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How much does going bilingual add versus a single-language site?
Multilingual adds 20-30% to the budget. On a 3,500,000 FCFA corporate site in one language, the EN/FR version comes to roughly 4,200,000-4,550,000 FCFA, translation included.
Do I need special hosting for fast loads in emerging markets?
Yes. A CDN with Europe and Africa edges (25,000-75,000 FCFA/month) is essential to stay under 3 seconds on 3G. Without it, mobile bounce rates often exceed 55%.
Is hreflang really necessary for SEO?
Yes. hreflang tags tell Google which version to serve by language and country. Set correctly, they prevent /en/ vs /fr/ cannibalisation and improve regional ranking by 15-30%.
How long does a 25-page bilingual site take?
Expect 6 to 10 weeks: 2 for design, 3-5 for development and bilingual integration, 1-2 for translation and QA. Delivering your content on time is the main schedule driver.
What annual budget should I plan after launch?
Between 400,000 and 1,200,000 FCFA/year in maintenance (15-20% of build) plus CDN hosting at 25,000-75,000 FCFA/month. Also budget translation for new pages.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your page count, target languages (EN/FR, +AR) and indicative budget, and we will price the i18n architecture, translation and CDN. 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.
