The verdict in three sentences
For a private school of 1,500 students, a SaaS license at FCFA 300-800/student/month (about EUR 0.45-1.20) costs FCFA 5.4M-14.4M/year, often billed in foreign currency and exposed to FX. A custom build at FCFA 10M-18M (about EUR 15,000-27,000) pays off from year two, especially with a mobile tuition payment module that cuts arrears by 40 %. The real ROI is not the license: it is recovered cash flow and 6 hours/week returned to administration.
Per-student license or local build: the true cost
Per-student SaaS is easy to start but scales with headcount. The custom build is an upfront investment, then a controlled maintenance fee.
| Line item (2026 order of magnitude) | SaaS license (1,500 students) | Custom build |
|---|---|---|
| Cost per student | FCFA 300-800/month | included |
| Annual software cost | FCFA 5.4M-14.4M | 15 %/yr of build |
| Initial development | — | FCFA 10M-18M |
| Mobile tuition payment module | add-on | FCFA 2.5M + 1.5 %/transaction |
| Parent portal | plan-dependent | included |
| Hosting | included | FCFA 180,000/month |
3-year cost: the break-even point
At a median FCFA 500/student/month, the license costs FCFA 9M/year. The build (base FCFA 14M) smooths out.
| Year | SaaS license (cumulative) | Custom build (cumulative) |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | FCFA 9M | FCFA 18.66M (build + module + hosting) |
| Year 2 | FCFA 18M | FCFA 22.92M |
| Year 3 | FCFA 27M | FCFA 27.18M |
| Tuition arrears | baseline | -40 % |
| Admin hours saved/week | 0 | 6 h |
| FX sensitivity | high | none (FCFA) |
Mini case study
Mr Ndiaye, director of a private school group (1,500 students, average fees FCFA 45,000/month), faced 12 % arrears, roughly FCFA 97M/year in delayed cash. After a custom build at FCFA 14M with a mobile payment module (Wave/Orange Money), arrears fell to 7 %. Cash-flow gain: about FCFA 40M collected earlier over the year, plus 6 hours/week of admin saved (nearly 240 hours over the school year). The investment is covered within the first term.
FAQ
Need a professional website?
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How long to deploy before the school year?
Expect 14 to 20 weeks. Plan for student-data migration, class configuration and a pilot on one grade before full rollout.
Is mobile tuition payment reliable?
Yes: integrated with Wave and Orange Money, it collects 24/7 with automatic receipts. Budget FCFA 2.5M plus 1.5 % per transaction, easily offset by lower arrears.
Does the parent portal really change anything?
Yes: online report cards, absences and fee deadlines cut calls to the office and speed up payments. It directly drives the 6 hours/week saved.
Why avoid a license billed in foreign currency?
A license in euros or dollars exposes your budget to FX. A build in FCFA locks your cost and removes that uncertainty over 3-5 years.
What does the 15 %/yr maintenance cover?
Regulatory changes, new report-card formats, fixes, backups and support during the school year. On a FCFA 14M build, that is FCFA 2.1M/year.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your headcount, priority modules (enrolment, grades, mobile payment) and budget: we cost build vs license. 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.
