The verdict in three sentences
In Mbour, Saly and Somone, many artisans and traders already sell well on WhatsApp, but waste time resending the same photos, writing orders down by hand and chasing payments. An online store under your own name, with a catalogue, a cart and Wave or Orange Money payment, costs 10,000 to 30,000 FCFA (15 to 46 EUR) per month to run in 2026. Kolonell's "Online Store" course at 75,000 FCFA (about 115 EUR) for 14 hours teaches you to build, stock and manage it yourself, without depending on a contractor.
WhatsApp alone or an online store: what do you gain?
2026 order of magnitude for a seller receiving 20 to 40 orders a month:
| Criterion | WhatsApp alone | Online store |
|---|---|---|
| Time per order | 15 to 25 min of back-and-forth | 3 to 5 min of checking |
| Visible catalogue | Statuses that vanish in 24 h | Permanent, 50 to 300 products |
| Payment | Wave screenshots to check one by one | Automatic confirmation |
| Tourist and diaspora customers | Hard to reach | Shareable link, remote orders |
| Google visibility | None | Possible on "fabrics Mbour", "crafts Saly" |
| Monthly cost | 0 FCFA apart from data | 10,000 to 30,000 FCFA |
For 30 orders a month, going from 20 to 5 minutes per order frees about 7.5 hours a month. The store does not replace WhatsApp: it plugs into it, the customer clicks a link and orders on their own.
How much does an online store cost in 2026?
Realistic running costs for a small Petite-Côte store, 2026 order of magnitude:
| Item | 2026 cost | Frequency | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Store platform subscription | 5,000 to 20,000 FCFA (8 to 30 EUR) | Per month | Depends on product count |
| Domain name (.com or .sn) | 8,000 to 20,000 FCFA | Per year | Optional at first |
| Wave collection fees | 1% | Per transaction | 300 FCFA on a 30,000 FCFA sale |
| Orange Money merchant fees | 1 to 2% | Per transaction | Depends on contract |
| Data and product photos | 5,000 to 10,000 FCFA | Per month | A recent smartphone is enough |
| Delivery in Mbour, Saly, Somone | 1,000 to 2,500 FCFA | Per parcel | Often recharged to the customer |
Compare with a store built by a contractor, often 300,000 to 1,000,000 FCFA (457 to 1,525 EUR) upfront, which the trader then cannot modify.
What the course covers and where it fits
The Kolonell Academy Online Store course, taught in French, is level 3 Advanced of the E-commerce and Online Selling track. It suits people who already sell on WhatsApp; if you are starting from zero, begin with level 1.
| Level | Course | Price | Duration | For whom |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Essential | Selling on WhatsApp | 25,000 FCFA (38 EUR) | 5 h | First sales, WhatsApp Business catalogue |
| 2 Practical | E-commerce in Senegal | 50,000 FCFA (76 EUR) | 12 h | Organising online sales |
| 3 Advanced | Online store: build it, stock it and run it | 75,000 FCFA (115 EUR) | 14 h | Build your store, product sheets, payments |
| 4 Professional | E-commerce manager | 100,000 FCFA (152 EUR) | 22 h | Stock, logistics, customer service |
| 5 Pro Track | Running an e-commerce business | 200,000 FCFA (305 EUR) | 40 h | Margins, acquisition, team |
The full track costs 350,000 FCFA instead of 450,000 (about 534 EUR instead of 686 EUR). At level 3, you learn to choose a platform, write product sheets that sell, take photos with a phone, connect Wave and Orange Money, then track orders and deliveries.
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.
Ndèye, 33, a fabric and wrapper seller in Mbour, makes about 30 sales a month on WhatsApp, with an average margin of 6,000 FCFA per sale. She takes the course over 4 weeks for 75,000 FCFA paid with Wave, then opens her store with 80 products for 15,000 FCFA a month.
Thanks to the link shared in diaspora groups and with customers in Saly, she rises to 42 sales a month. Maths: 12 extra sales × 6,000 FCFA = 72,000 FCFA of extra margin, minus the 15,000 FCFA subscription, so 57,000 FCFA net per month (about 87 EUR). The course pays for itself in under 6 weeks. Order of magnitude, not a guarantee: results depend on products, photos and consistency.
FAQ
Do I need to know how to code to build my store?
No, the course uses no-code platforms. A smartphone and ideally a computer to set up the first 50 products are enough.
Can my customers pay with Wave and Orange Money?
Yes, the course shows how to offer both, with fees around 1% at Wave. Payment confirmation arrives without checking screenshots one by one.
I already sell a little on WhatsApp, should I start at level 1?
If you already have a WhatsApp Business catalogue and regular sales, you can go straight to level 3 at 75,000 FCFA. Otherwise, level 1 at 25,000 FCFA lays the groundwork in 5 hours.
How long until I have a working online store?
Most learners publish a first version with 20 to 30 products within 2 to 3 weeks. Then allow 2 to 3 hours a week to add products and handle orders.
How do I pay for the course from Mbour?
With Wave or Orange Money, no bank card needed. Access opens as soon as the 75,000 FCFA payment is confirmed.
Take the next step. Enroll in Online store: build it, stock it and run it: 14 hours online, taught in French, 75,000 FCFA (115 EUR), with a 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.
