The verdict in three sentences
A sale pays you once, but a maintenance subscription pays you every month: that is the heart of a referrer's passive income. With Kolonell's 5 % recurring on maintenance, SEO and hosting, every signed client feeds your annuity for as long as they stay active. Through compounding, a portfolio of 50 clients can exceed a full-time salary without redoing the sales work.
How the recurring builds up
Kolonell clients often subscribe to a maintenance contract between 50,000 and 200,000 FCFA/month (updates, security, small changes), sometimes SEO (75,000 to 300,000 FCFA/month) and managed hosting (25,000 to 75,000 FCFA/month). The referrer earns 5 % of that recurring every month.
| Recurring type | Client price/month | Referrer commission 5 % |
|---|---|---|
| Basic maintenance | 50,000 FCFA | 2,500 FCFA |
| Standard maintenance | 100,000 FCFA | 5,000 FCFA |
| Premium maintenance | 200,000 FCFA | 10,000 FCFA |
| Monthly SEO | 150,000 FCFA | 7,500 FCFA |
| Managed hosting | 50,000 FCFA | 2,500 FCFA |
| Full pack (3 services) | 300,000 FCFA | 15,000 FCFA |
A single full-pack client brings 15,000 FCFA/month passively. The magic comes from volume: accumulation turns small lines into a real annuity.
Portfolio growth over 24 months
Assuming an average recurring client at 100,000 FCFA/month (5,000 FCFA commission) and 5 to 10 %/year churn, here is the ballpark monthly recurring by portfolio size.
| Active clients | Referrer monthly recurring | Annual recurring |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | 25,000 FCFA | 300,000 FCFA |
| 10 | 50,000 FCFA | 600,000 FCFA |
| 20 | 100,000 FCFA | 1,200,000 FCFA |
| 35 | 175,000 FCFA | 2,100,000 FCFA |
| 50 | 250,000 FCFA | 3,000,000 FCFA |
| 80 | 400,000 FCFA | 4,800,000 FCFA |
At 50 clients, the recurring alone (250,000 FCFA/month) already covers a comfortable Dakar salary, on top of sale commissions. With a mix of full packs, the threshold drops to 30-35 clients.
Mini case study
Cheikh, a referrer in Dakar, signs on average 3 clients/month over 18 months, half of whom take a maintenance + SEO pack at 250,000 FCFA/month. After 18 months he has about 45 active clients (after churn), generating passive recurring of roughly 220,000 FCFA/month. That flow lands even in months when he closes no new sale: his 2026 goal is to reach 60 clients and live off recurring alone.
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FAQ
Is the recurring really passive?
After the sale, yes, 95 %. The client is served by the Kolonell team; you only keep a good relationship. One courtesy call per quarter is enough to keep churn below 10 %/year.
What happens if a client stops their maintenance?
You lose that recurring line, but it is usually replaced by your new sales. With 5-10 %/year churn, a growing portfolio rises far faster than it shrinks.
How many clients to live off the recurring?
Ballpark: 50 clients at 100,000 FCFA/month give 250,000 FCFA/month of commission. With full packs at 300,000 FCFA/month, 35 clients are enough.
Does recurring stack with sale commission?
Yes. You earn 15 % on a showcase sale (or 12 % e-commerce) plus 5 % recurring every month. The sale funds the present, the recurring builds the future.
Build your annuity with Kolonell
The Kolonell referral program combines a sale commission (15 % showcase, 12 % e-commerce, 10 % marketplace, 8 % institutional) and 5 % recurring on maintenance, SEO and hosting. Every signed client becomes a monthly income line.
Let's talk about your project. Turn your sales into a passive annuity with Kolonell's recurring. 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.
