The verdict in three sentences
For a pay-as-you-go (PAYG) solar company serving 12,000 households in markets such as Guinea, often managed from a European office in Amsterdam, custom software costs EUR 23,000 to 61,000 (15 to 40 million FCFA) in 2026. It must do three things flawlessly: remotely unlock and lock kits based on mobile money payments, track the repayment rate per agent, and dispatch field technicians. Against international PAYG platforms billed at 1.5 to 3% of revenue, the investment often pays back in 18 to 30 months.
What PAYG solar software costs in 2026
Figures are in EUR with the FCFA equivalent (1 EUR = 655.957 FCFA). Local operations in Guinea are paid in GNF.
| Module | Indicative 2026 budget | FCFA equivalent | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customer record, contract and instalment schedule | EUR 4,600 to 9,100 | 3 to 6 M FCFA | 4 to 6 weeks |
| Orange Money and MTN MoMo integration (payment + reconciliation) | EUR 4,600 to 10,700 | 3 to 7 M FCFA | 4 to 6 weeks |
| Remote unlock and lock (token codes or GSM link) | EUR 4,600 to 12,200 | 3 to 8 M FCFA | 4 to 8 weeks |
| Offline sales agent app | EUR 3,000 to 9,100 | 2 to 6 M FCFA | 4 to 6 weeks |
| Service tickets and technician scheduling | EUR 3,000 to 7,600 | 2 to 5 M FCFA | 3 to 5 weeks |
| Portfolio and collections dashboards | EUR 3,000 to 7,600 | 2 to 5 M FCFA | 3 to 4 weeks |
| SMS reminders and USSD | EUR 1,500 to 4,600 | 1 to 3 M FCFA | 2 to 3 weeks |
A full scope lands around EUR 38,000 (25 M FCFA) for 12,000 customers, delivered in phases over 4 to 6 months. Annual maintenance is 15 to 20% of the build. The same scope built by a Dutch agency would typically quote EUR 120,000 to 200,000.
The metrics the software must track
In PAYG, profitability is decided by collections. A portfolio moving from 80% to 88% repayment completely changes the financial picture and the ability to raise debt from impact investors.
| Metric | Weak | Acceptable | Target with the software |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90-day repayment rate | Under 75% | 80 to 85% | 88 to 92% |
| Share of kits locked over 30 days | Over 20% | 10 to 15% | Under 8% |
| Technician response time | Over 7 days | 3 to 5 days | 48 hours |
| Customers per collections agent | 300 | 500 | 800 |
| Collection cost per payment | 3 to 4% | 2% | 1 to 1.5% |
| Payment-to-contract reconciliation | Manual, D+7 | Semi-automatic, D+2 | Automatic, real time |
Per-agent tracking is decisive: it reveals high-default areas (often caused by poor qualification at sale) and lets you tie sales commissions to collections rather than volume.
Mini case study
Mr Camara runs a solar kit distributor in Conakry serving 12,000 households, with an average payment of 15,000 FCFA (EUR 23) a month, or about EUR 3.3 million a year in revenue. His foreign platform charges 2% of revenue, that is EUR 66,000 a year. Custom software at EUR 43,000, plus EUR 7,600 annual maintenance, pays back in under 10 months. Raising the repayment rate from 82% to 87% also recovers about EUR 165,000 a year that used to go into arrears.
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FAQ
How is a kit locked remotely?
Two methods dominate: a token code sent by SMS that the customer enters on the kit, or a built-in GSM module that receives the command directly. Tokens are cheaper, around EUR 0.003 to 0.008 per SMS.
Does the software work with rural network coverage?
Yes, the agent app works offline and syncs whenever 2G or 3G is available. Orange Money payments run over USSD, with no smartphone needed.
Can we migrate data from our current platform?
Yes. Migrating 12,000 contracts with payment history usually takes 2 to 4 weeks and costs EUR 1,500 to 4,600.
Will impact investors accept in-house software for reporting?
Yes if it produces standard metrics (PAR 30, PAR 90, repayment by cohort). These exports are part of the dashboard module.
How long until full cutover?
Allow 4 to 6 months, with a 4-week pilot on 500 to 1,000 customers before migrating the whole portfolio.
Let's scope your project. Send us your household count, mobile money operators and kit type, and we will price PAYG software between EUR 23,000 and 61,000 with a migration plan. 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.
