The verdict in three sentences
For a construction group headquartered in Douala with subsidiaries in five countries, the right answer in 2026 is a single multi-site platform: one group website and subsidiary mini-sites sharing the same CMS, design system and hosting. The budget ranges from 18 to 40 million FCFA (about 27,400 to 61,000 EUR) for the platform, then around 6,000,000 FCFA per additional subsidiary (about 9,150 EUR), with a 4-month timeline. Over three years, this architecture costs much less than separate sites and stops each subsidiary from publishing project references that clash with the group's image.
What a pan-African construction group website must include
The group site serves three distinct audiences: public and private project owners preparing a tender, lenders and financial partners (AfDB, AFD, World Bank) checking the company's capacity, and engineer or site manager candidates. Each subsidiary (Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Chad for example) needs its own local showcase, with its contacts, licences and projects.
The essential features in 2026:
- Geolocated project references: an interactive map filterable by country, type of work (roads, buildings, bridges, water infrastructure), contract value and project owner.
- CMS with 2-level approval: the subsidiary communications officer drafts, group communications approves before publishing.
- Document area: brochure, ISO 9001 and 45001 certificates, completion certificates available for download.
- Shared careers section, with job offers filtered by country.
- FR/EN at minimum, since English-speaking lenders read the site.
| Component | Group platform | Per added subsidiary | Indicative timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Design system and templates | 4,500,000 to 9,000,000 FCFA | included | 4 weeks |
| Headless CMS with 2-level workflow | 3,500,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA | 600,000 FCFA (roles, rights) | 3 weeks |
| Geolocated project map | 2,500,000 to 5,500,000 FCFA | 800,000 FCFA (initial data entry) | 3 weeks |
| FR/EN content and copywriting | 3,000,000 to 8,000,000 FCFA | 2,200,000 FCFA | 6 weeks |
| Site photos and drone videos | 2,000,000 to 6,000,000 FCFA | 1,500,000 FCFA | depends on sites |
| Careers and document area | 1,500,000 to 3,000,000 FCFA | 400,000 FCFA | 2 weeks |
| QA, security, go-live | 1,000,000 to 1,500,000 FCFA | 500,000 FCFA | 2 weeks |
Order of magnitude for 2026: the complete platform falls between 18 and 40 million FCFA depending on content volume and photo production, and each additional subsidiary costs about 6,000,000 FCFA.
Multi-site on one platform or separate sites: the 3-year math
Many groups have inherited one site per subsidiary, built at different times by different vendors. The outcome is familiar: diverging brand guidelines, outdated WordPress versions, group figures that contradict each other from site to site. Here is the comparison for a group with 1 group site and 5 subsidiaries.
| 3-year cost item | Multi-site platform | 6 separate sites |
|---|---|---|
| Initial build | 28,000,000 + 5 x 6,000,000 = 58,000,000 FCFA | 6 x 14,000,000 = 84,000,000 FCFA |
| Hosting and CDN | 5,400,000 FCFA | 6 x 2,100,000 = 12,600,000 FCFA |
| Maintenance and security | 10,800,000 FCFA | 6 x 3,600,000 = 21,600,000 FCFA |
| Enhancements (new page type) | built once, deployed everywhere | paid 6 times |
| Brand consistency | guaranteed by the design system | depends on each vendor |
| Estimated 3-year total | about 74,200,000 FCFA | about 118,200,000 FCFA |
The gap reaches about 44 million FCFA (about 67,000 EUR), a 37% saving, before even counting the time group communications spends coordinating several vendors.
Editorial governance and security: what to lock down
The two-level workflow prevents classic mistakes: a project published before provisional acceptance, a confidential contract amount on display, a photo without PPE that contradicts the group's HSE policy. We recommend precise roles (subsidiary editor, group approver, administrator), version history and scheduled publishing.
On security, a construction group website is a regular defacement target. The platform must include security headers, daily backups, two-factor authentication for editors and CDN-backed hosting, which is essential to load fast from N'Djamena as well as from Paris.
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Mini case study
Serge, communications director of a construction group based in Douala, oversees five subsidiaries. He was spending 9,800,000 FCFA a year to maintain six inconsistent sites, and his team spent about 6 hours a week fixing discrepancies between sites. With a multi-site platform at 28,000,000 FCFA plus 5 subsidiaries at 6,000,000 FCFA, or 58,000,000 FCFA in total, annual maintenance drops to 5,400,000 FCFA. The saving of 4,400,000 FCFA a year, plus 300 recovered working hours a year, makes the project pay off by year three compared with a site-by-site redesign estimated at 84,000,000 FCFA.
FAQ
How much does a multi-site website for a construction group cost in 2026?
Plan 18 to 40 million FCFA for the group platform, then about 6,000,000 FCFA per additional subsidiary. The main cost driver is content and project photo production.
What is a realistic timeline?
About 4 months for the platform and the first two subsidiaries. Further subsidiaries can be launched at a pace of one every 3 to 4 weeks.
Can each subsidiary have its own domain name?
Yes, the platform handles separate domains (for example .cm, .ga, .ci) or subfolders. Subfolders concentrate SEO authority better, while local domains reassure national project owners more.
Can we display contract amounts?
It is a governance decision. Many groups show a range (under 1 billion, 1 to 5 billion FCFA) rather than the exact amount, which the 2-level approval lets you control.
How much is annual maintenance?
Plan 3,600,000 to 6,000,000 FCFA a year for the full platform, hosting included, depending on the SLA level required.
Let's scope your project. Send us the list of your subsidiaries and the number of project references to publish, and we will price the multi-site platform, the per-subsidiary cost and a 4-month schedule. 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.
