The verdict in three sentences
An outsourced payroll firm in Dakar sells reliability: a wrong payslip or a late filing costs a client. A custom multi-employer tool (9,000,000-22,000,000 FCFA) industrializes payslips, secures social filings (IPRES, CSS) and gives each client a portal. The real gain is not the software, it is the number of employers each administrator can handle without error.
Outsourced payroll software modules and their weight
| Module | What it drives | Build weight (FCFA) |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-employer | Client isolation, payroll parameters | 2,000,000 - 4,500,000 |
| Payslip engine | Gross/net, contributions, income tax | 2,500,000 - 5,000,000 |
| Social filings | IPRES, CSS, DIPE, schedule | 1,800,000 - 4,000,000 |
| Client portal | Document upload, approval, payslips | 1,500,000 - 3,500,000 |
| Employee records | Contracts, leave, final settlements | 1,200,000 - 2,800,000 |
| Security & roles | Roles, audit log, backup | 1,000,000 - 2,500,000 |
Why custom in Dakar
Generic solutions handle Senegalese labour law (income tax scale, IPRES/CSS ceilings, DIPE) and a firm's multi-client mode poorly. A custom build avoids workarounds and secures local compliance.
| Criterion | Spreadsheet / generic tool | Kolonell custom |
|---|---|---|
| Local compliance (IPRES, CSS, DIPE) | Manual, risky | Built in and parameterized |
| Multi-employer | Separate files | Native isolation |
| Client portal | None | Included |
| Audit log | Missing | Complete |
| Cost | Low but high risk | 9,000,000 - 22,000,000 FCFA |
| Code ownership | N/A | Yours |
TCO and hours saved
Decisive lever: employers per administrator. An administrator often moves from 25 to 40 employers handled once data entry and filings are automated, with no loss of quality.
| Line | 2026 estimate (order of magnitude) |
|---|---|
| Initial build | 9,000,000 - 22,000,000 FCFA |
| Annual maintenance | 12 - 18 % of build |
| Hosting + backup | 600,000 - 1,500,000 FCFA/year |
| Hours saved / administrator | 8 - 12 h/week |
| Capacity / administrator | from ~25 to ~40 employers |
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Mini case study
Me Ndiaye runs an HR firm in Dakar handling payroll for 32 employers with 4 administrators (about 25 employers/administrator max). After a custom tool (build 14,000,000 FCFA, maintenance 2,100,000 FCFA/year), automated payslips and DIPE filings raised capacity to 40 employers/administrator. The firm absorbed 20 new clients without hiring, at about 90,000 FCFA/month/client, i.e. 21,600,000 FCFA additional revenue per year, an investment repaid in under a year.
FAQ
Why not a generic payroll tool? Because it rarely supports a firm's multi-client mode and Senegalese specifics (IPRES, CSS, DIPE, income tax scale). Workarounds create errors that cost clients.
How is HR data secured? Client isolation, roles and permissions, timestamped audit log, encryption and automatic backups. Employee data is sensitive: traceability is essential.
Is the client portal included? Yes in a custom build: each client uploads payroll inputs, approves and downloads payslips. That cuts email back-and-forth and makes deadlines reliable.
How long to deploy? Budget 5 to 8 months depending on modules and history migration. We start with the payslip engine and multi-employer for quick impact.
What budget to plan? From 9,000,000 to 22,000,000 FCFA for the build, plus 12 to 18 % per year maintenance and 600,000 to 1,500,000 FCFA hosting. ROI comes from capacity per administrator.
Let's scope your project. Share your number of employers handled, administrators and filings (IPRES, CSS, DIPE) for a precise estimate. 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.
