The verdict in three sentences
For a 20 to 60 bed private clinic in Dakar, custom management software costs between 8,000,000 and 25,000,000 FCFA (about EUR 12,200 to 38,100), delivered in 10 to 16 weeks. Its real return comes from third-party billing: clean handling of IPM (company health schemes) and insurer coverage cuts invoice rejections and shortens collection times by several weeks. Compared with foreign licences billed at EUR 3,000 to 8,000 a year (2,000,000 to 5,250,000 FCFA) and poorly suited to Senegalese IPMs, local development pays for itself in 2 to 4 years.
Essential modules and their price
The director of a Dakar clinic juggles three flows that do not talk to each other: patient records kept by doctors, billing handled at the cashier, and monthly claim batches sent to IPMs and insurers. Custom software links these three flows around a single patient ID.
| Module | Function | 2026 budget (FCFA) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electronic patient record | Consultations, history, prescriptions, results | 2,000,000 to 5,500,000 | 4 to 6 weeks |
| Admissions and bed management | Admissions, discharges, real-time occupancy | 1,000,000 to 3,000,000 | 2 to 3 weeks |
| Billing and cashier | Procedures, packages, Wave, Orange Money, card | 1,500,000 to 4,000,000 | 3 to 4 weeks |
| IPM and insurer third-party billing | Coverage approvals, caps, monthly claim batches | 2,000,000 to 6,000,000 | 3 to 5 weeks |
| Pharmacy and stock | Dispensing per patient, expiry alerts | 800,000 to 3,000,000 | 2 to 3 weeks |
| Lab and imaging | Orders, results, analyser integration | 700,000 to 3,500,000 | 2 to 4 weeks |
A 20 bed clinic with patient records, billing and third-party billing starts at around 8,000,000 FCFA. A 60 bed facility with lab, imaging, pharmacy and a patient mobile app reaches 20,000,000 to 25,000,000 FCFA. Annual maintenance is 12 to 18% of the initial budget, i.e. 1,000,000 to 4,500,000 FCFA.
Foreign licence or custom build: the comparison
Many clinics have tried a French, Moroccan or Indian product. The same frustrations come back: no IPM handling, billing in euros, remote support across time zones, and data hosted outside Senegal.
| Criterion | Foreign licence | Custom software |
|---|---|---|
| Entry cost | 1,500,000 to 4,000,000 FCFA (configuration) | 8,000,000 to 25,000,000 FCFA |
| Annual cost | 2,000,000 to 5,250,000 FCFA (EUR 3,000 to 8,000) | 1,000,000 to 4,500,000 FCFA |
| Local IPM and insurer handling | Missing or patched | Native, per agreement |
| Wave and Orange Money payments | Rarely | Built in |
| Support | Remote, European hours | Local, on site in Dakar |
| Hosting and Law 2008-12 | Often outside Senegal | Local or cloud declared to the CDP |
| Code ownership | Vendor | Clinic |
Third-party billing: where the money is made
In an average Dakar clinic, 40 to 65% of revenue goes through IPMs or insurers. Every claim batch rejected for an exceeded cap, an expired approval or a wrong member number delays collection by 30 to 90 days. The third-party billing module checks these points at admission, before the procedure.
| Indicator | Before (Excel) | After (third-party module) |
|---|---|---|
| Claim rejection rate | 8 to 15% | 2 to 4% |
| Average IPM collection time | 75 to 120 days | 45 to 60 days |
| Time to prepare monthly claim batches | 4 to 6 days per clerk | 0.5 to 1 day |
| Unbilled procedures (omissions) | 3 to 6% | Under 1% |
| Visibility on receivables per IPM | Quarterly | Real time |
Confidentiality is governed by Law 2008-12 on personal data. Health data is sensitive: processing must be declared to or authorised by the Personal Data Protection Commission (CDP), with role-based access control, access logging and encrypted backups. Budget 500,000 to 1,500,000 FCFA for this security and compliance work.
Mini case study
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Dr Ndiaye runs a 40 bed clinic in Dakar billing 1,200,000,000 FCFA a year, 55% of it through 30 IPMs and 8 insurers. His rejection rate is 11% and his third-party receivables exceed 180,000,000 FCFA. He invests 16,000,000 FCFA in custom software (patient records, billing, third-party billing, pharmacy), plus 2,400,000 FCFA a year in maintenance.
After one year, rejections fall to 3%. On 660,000,000 FCFA billed to third parties, that is 52,800,000 FCFA of invoices no longer blocked. Missed procedures drop from 4% to 1%, recovering about 36,000,000 FCFA. The project pays back in under 6 months.
FAQ
What budget should a Dakar clinic plan for management software?
Expect 8,000,000 to 12,000,000 FCFA for a 20 bed clinic with patient records, billing and third-party billing. A 60 bed facility with lab and imaging rises to 20,000,000 to 25,000,000 FCFA.
Does the software handle IPMs and private insurers?
Yes, each agreement is configured with its coverage rates, caps and required documents. Monthly claim batches are generated automatically, cutting preparation from 5 days to under one day.
Where should patient health data be hosted?
A secured on-site server costs 2,000,000 to 4,000,000 FCFA, a cloud declared to the CDP 75,000 to 250,000 FCFA a month. Either way, Law 2008-12 requires encryption, access control and logging.
How long does deployment take?
Plan 10 to 16 weeks, including 2 weeks of staff training and a period running in parallel with the old system. A gradual switchover, department by department, limits risk.
Can patients pay with Wave or Orange Money?
Yes, the cashier module integrates Wave and Orange Money with automatic reconciliation, for 500,000 to 1,200,000 FCFA. Wave merchant fees stay around 1%.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your bed count, your departments and your main IPMs: we will price a scope between 8,000,000 and 25,000,000 FCFA with a 10 to 16 week 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.
