The verdict in three sentences
If you already sell on WhatsApp or Instagram in Ouagadougou and spend more time quoting prices than selling, an online store under your own name becomes useful. The course Online store: build it, stock it and run it, taught in French, level 3 Intermediate, 75,000 FCFA (115 EUR), 14 h, is best judged by its deliverables: a store with at least 20 published products, tested mobile money and cash-on-delivery payment, then a live store with its first orders and its dashboard. No coding is required, and no revenue is guaranteed.
The six deliverables, module by module
The course has six modules and 24 lessons, with an exercise after each lesson, a PDF handout and a quiz per module. Each module produces a concrete piece of your future store.
| Module | Deliverable | What you must show | Tools |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Choosing your platform and budget (free preview) | 12-month platform cost comparison and a reasoned choice | Full cost in FCFA: subscription, domain, add-ons | Shopify, WooCommerce, Wix |
| 2. Building the store | Store organised in collections, with trust pages and legal pages | Home-to-cart path in three clicks, readable on an entry-level phone | Platform theme, Canva |
| 3. Filling the catalogue | At least 20 products with variants, SKUs and consistent photos, plus your CSV import file | Complete product pages, honest strike-through prices, accurate stock | CSV import, Canva |
| 4. Connecting payment and delivery | Mobile money, cash on delivery and delivery rates configured and tested | Test order on three phones, fees shown early | PayDunya, CinetPay |
| 5. Bringing in visitors | Store declared in Google Search Console, product feed on Merchant Center or Meta | Products findable for product + city searches | Google Search Console, Merchant Center, Meta Commerce Manager |
| 6. Running the store weekly | Written weekly routine and a 4-week Google Sheets dashboard | Orders, abandoned carts, conversion, average basket | Google Analytics 4, Google Sheets, WhatsApp Business |
Two projects are submitted. The first, at the end of module 3, is your pre-launch store with 20 published products. The final project, in module 6, is your live store, its first orders and its dashboard. The course examples are fictional and set in Thiès, Dakar, Abidjan and Bamako, with amounts in FCFA: in Ouagadougou the method is the same, but three points need adapting.
First, the legal pages: the course relies on Senegal's law 2008-12; in Burkina Faso, have your notices checked against Burkinabè personal data law and the rules of the CIL. Second, payment: check that the gateway you choose covers the mobile money wallets used in Ouagadougou before signing up. Third, delivery: your zones and rates (Ouaga 2000, Gounghin, Tanghin, Bobo-Dioulasso, the sub-region) are set up in the store as shown in module 4.
What an online store costs in 2026
| Item | Indicative amount 2026 | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Kolonell course, level 3 Intermediate | 75,000 FCFA (115 EUR), 14 h | Written lessons, PDFs, exercises with answer keys, quizzes, 2 projects |
| Full E-commerce and online sales track (5 levels) | 350,000 FCFA instead of 450,000 | From selling on WhatsApp to e-commerce management |
| Store starting budget | 60,000 to 200,000 FCFA | Domain and first months of subscription, depending on platform |
| Platform store, first year | 60,000 to 250,000 FCFA | Subscription, domain, add-ons, excluding photos and ads |
| Custom store built by an agency | From about 1,000,000 FCFA | For specific needs |
| Setup by a freelancer | 150,000 to 400,000 FCFA | 2026 estimate for Dakar and Abidjan |
Prerequisites: having taken level 2 E-commerce: selling online in Senegal, or already selling online with a catalogue and fixed prices, and a computer to build the store; day-to-day management then happens on a phone. Allow 3 to 4 hours a week for 4 weeks, including two or three focused evenings for modules 2 and 3. This course is level 3 of the E-commerce and online sales track, before level 4 on stock, logistics and customer service.
What a well-run store can produce
The following figures are 2026 estimates for Dakar and Abidjan quoted on the course page, with no guaranteed result: in Ouagadougou they depend on your product, your average basket and your audience.
| Indicator | Order of magnitude 2026 | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly orders for a small store | 20 to 60 a month | After 3 to 6 months of regular management |
| Matching monthly revenue | 400,000 to 2,000,000 FCFA | Depending on average basket |
| Setting up a store for a client | 150,000 to 400,000 FCFA | Freelance activity |
| Monthly store management for a client | 30,000 to 75,000 FCFA a month | Freelance activity |
| Abandoned cart follow-ups | At 1 hour and 24 hours | Module 6 routine |
Mini case study
Consider a hypothetical learner: Salimata, 29, who makes Faso Dan Fani handbags in Ouagadougou and currently sells on WhatsApp and Facebook. She invests 75,000 FCFA in the course and budgets 120,000 FCFA for the platform and domain in the first year, 195,000 FCFA in total.
Learn this skill with Kolonell Academy
Short, practical online courses (taught in French), graded exercises, certificate. Pay with Wave or Orange Money.
Illustrative calculation: with an average basket of 15,000 FCFA and a 40 % margin, each order leaves her 6,000 FCFA. She would need about 33 orders to cover the 195,000 FCFA; at 20 orders a month, the low end of the quoted range, that is a little under two months. This scenario helps you reason about your own break-even point; it describes no achieved result.
FAQ
Do I need to code?
No. Shopify, WooCommerce and Wix are configured through menus and the course contains no code. When a need goes beyond what you can do alone, the lesson lists the questions to ask a provider.
Will my customers be able to pay with mobile money?
Yes, through a gateway that groups wallets together, such as PayDunya or CinetPay. Module 4 compares fees, payout delays and required documents, and keeps cash on delivery for first orders; check Burkina Faso coverage for the gateway you choose.
How long does it take to publish the 20 products?
Module 3 teaches CSV import, which lets you add 50 products in an hour once photos and product sheets are ready. The longest part is preparing consistent photos and descriptions.
Are there videos or one-to-one coaching?
No. The course consists of written lessons, PDF handouts, exercises with answer keys, quizzes and projects, with a forum per course and WhatsApp support. It works on a phone over 3G and module 1 is free before payment.
What certificate will I get?
A numbered Kolonell Academy certificate, verifiable online (QR code), that you can add to LinkedIn, after passing the quizzes of all 6 modules with at least 70 %; your final project must also be approved by a reviewer. Course access is lifetime, updates included.
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Take the next step. Enroll in Online store: build it, stock it and run it: 14 h, 75,000 FCFA (115 EUR), Kolonell Academy certificate verifiable online. 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.
