The verdict in three sentences
In Kaolack, a young graduate or secretary who masters Word, Excel and PowerPoint at office level gets ahead of most applicants: as a 2026 order of magnitude, about 70% of administrative job ads require Excel. Kolonell Academy's Complete Office suite: Word, Excel and PowerPoint at work course costs 100,000 FCFA (about 152 EUR / 165 USD) for 22 hours, with a certificate, versus 75,000 to 150,000 FCFA at a local centre. It targets an operational intermediate level: templates, summary tables, professional presentations, not just the basics.
What Kaolack employers expect in office software
Kaolack is home to groundnut and salt trading companies, transport firms, banks and microfinance institutions, clinics, NGOs and government offices. In all these offices, the tasks are similar: writing clean letters and reports, tracking stock or receipts in Excel, preparing a presentation for a meeting or a partner.
Candidates' problem is not opening Word. It is producing a compliant document fast, consolidating several Excel sheets or building a clear presentation in an hour. That is what practical hiring tests check.
| Office task | Software | Level required in 2026 | What recruiters often test |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letter, report with automatic table of contents | Word | Intermediate | Styles, templates, mail merge |
| Tracking stock or receipts | Excel | Intermediate | Formulas, XLOOKUP, filters |
| Monthly sales summary | Excel | Intermediate | Pivot tables, charts |
| Presentation for a partner | PowerPoint | Intermediate | Clear message, clean layout |
| Documents shared with the team | All three | Intermediate | Shared files, versions |
Price of an Office suite course in Kaolack in 2026
Training centres in Kaolack run Office suite sessions for 75,000 to 150,000 FCFA, often over 4 to 8 weeks, in person, with fixed hours. Free videos are plentiful but rarely structured for office use. Recognised international certifications charge for the exam on top.
| Option | Indicative 2026 price | Volume | Certificate | Weak points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kolonell Academy, Complete Office suite | 100,000 FCFA (about 152 EUR) | 22 h online | Kolonell Academy certificate | Computer needed |
| Training centre in Kaolack | 75,000 to 150,000 FCFA | 20 to 40 h | Centre attestation | Fixed hours, uneven level |
| Private lessons | 5,000 to 10,000 FCFA/h | 20 h | None | 100,000 to 200,000 FCFA in total |
| International certification (exam only) | 40,000 to 80,000 FCFA per program | Exam | Yes | Training not included |
| Free tutorials | 0 FCFA | Variable | None | No progression |
The Complete Office suite: Word, Excel and PowerPoint at work course is level 4 Intermediate of its track, at 100,000 FCFA. It is taught in French, and its eight modules start with the shared workspace, then cover Word at work with templates and automation, Excel to consolidate and analyse, three PowerPoint modules (building the message, professional layout, useful charts, images and animations), presenting with impact and finally using the three programs together.
Choosing the right level in the office skills track
The Office skills and productivity track has five levels, from getting started on a computer to automation. The full track costs 350,000 FCFA instead of 450,000 FCFA. The Complete Office suite assumes you can already manage your files and emails.
| Your situation | Recommendation | Budget |
|---|---|---|
| You rarely use a computer | Levels 1 to 3 first | Per level |
| You can type a document and do a sum in Excel | Level 4 Complete Office suite | 100,000 FCFA |
| You aim for an executive assistant role | Level 4 + secretarial course | Per course |
| You want the whole track up to automation | Full track | 350,000 FCFA |
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.
Fatou, 25, holds a bachelor's degree in management in Kaolack and keeps attending interviews for administrative assistant roles but fails the Excel tests. She takes the Complete Office suite at 5 hours a week for just over four weeks and practises on stock and cash tables.
She lands a job at a trading company at 175,000 FCFA a month, versus 100,000 FCFA in her previous sales job. She gains 75,000 FCFA a month: the 100,000 FCFA course pays back in about six weeks. It is an illustration, not a promise, but it shows office skills remain one of the fastest investments to recoup.
FAQ
What level do I need before starting the Complete Office suite?
You need to use a computer, save files and do a simple sum in Excel. If not, the first levels of the track are a better fit.
Do I need to own Microsoft Office?
A computer with Word, Excel and PowerPoint is recommended for the 22 hours of exercises. The free web version of Microsoft 365 covers most of the operations.
Do employers recognise the certificate?
The Kolonell Academy certificate confirms the 22 hours and passed quizzes. Kaolack recruiters mainly look at your result in the practical test, which the course prepares you for directly.
How do I pay for the course?
The 100,000 FCFA (about 152 EUR / 165 USD) is paid by Wave or Orange Money. The full five-level track is 350,000 FCFA instead of 450,000 FCFA.
How long does it take to finish?
At 5 hours a week, allow 4 to 5 weeks. At 10 hours a week, between interviews, about two and a half weeks.
Take the next step. Enroll in Complete Office suite: Word, Excel and PowerPoint at work: 22 hours online, 100,000 FCFA (about 152 EUR), 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.