The verdict in three sentences
A private school in Dakar still too often manages enrolment, grades and payments on ledgers and Excel, which costs dearly in untracked unpaid fees (often 5 to 12 % of tuition). School management software costs 8 to 25M FCFA custom or 2,000 to 6,000 FCFA/student/year as SaaS, with a parent portal and integrated mobile payment, over a 4 to 6 month rollout. The return is immediate: halving unpaid fees at a 600-student school pays for the tool in a single term.
Modules and their priority
A school doesn't need everything at once. Prioritize what touches money (payments, arrears) and the parent relationship, then enrich.
| Module | Priority | Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Enrolment & student records | High | Centralization, no more ledgers |
| Tuition payment (Wave/OM) | High | -50 % arrears, fast collection |
| Parent portal (grades, absences) | High | Fewer calls, trust |
| Grades & report cards | Medium | Automatic report cards |
| Timetable & attendance | Medium | Attendance tracking |
| SMS/email communication | Medium | Payment reminders |
| Accounting & reporting | Low | Management steering |
Cost per student: SaaS vs custom
The right trade-off depends on size. Under 400 students, per-student SaaS is often cheaper; beyond that, or with several sites, custom becomes profitable and avoids a cost that grows with headcount.
| Headcount | SaaS (4,000 FCFA/student/yr) | Custom amortized over 3 yrs |
|---|---|---|
| 300 students | 1,200,000 FCFA/yr | ~4,000,000 FCFA/yr (12M) |
| 600 students | 2,400,000 FCFA/yr | ~4,700,000 FCFA/yr (14M) |
| 1,000 students | 4,000,000 FCFA/yr | ~5,300,000 FCFA/yr (16M) |
| 2,000 students | 8,000,000 FCFA/yr | ~6,700,000 FCFA/yr (20M) |
| Multi-site | Expensive | Clear custom advantage |
Mini case study
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Mr Ndiaye runs a private school of 600 students in Dakar, average tuition 350,000 FCFA/year, i.e. 210M FCFA of annual billing. His arrears rate reaches 9 %, i.e. 18.9M FCFA lost per year. He invests 14M FCFA in a custom platform with parent portal and Wave/Orange Money payment, delivered in 5 months. Thanks to automatic reminders and online payment, arrears drop to 4 % in the first term, recovering 10.5M FCFA. The tool pays for itself in one school year, then generates net every term.
FAQ
Will parents in Dakar really pay online? Yes — Wave and Orange Money adoption is massive in Senegal in 2026. Paying tuition by mobile, with an automatic receipt, is often better accepted than trips to the office.
What budget for a small 250-student school? At this size, SaaS at 2,000-4,000 FCFA/student/year (500,000 to 1M FCFA/year) is usually the best choice, with no heavy upfront investment.
Does the parent portal really cut the office workload? Markedly: recurring requests (grades, absences, tuition balance) are self-service, freeing admin staff from calls and queues at term start.
Can we manage several schools under one management? Yes — a classic custom case: a consolidated view for senior management and separate access per school, with billing and arrears tracked site by site.
How long to be operational before term start? Budget 4 to 6 months. It's wise to start early in the calendar year for go-live before the September/October term.
Let's scope your project. Give us your headcount, your tuition fees and your priorities (payment, parent portal, report cards): we'll frame a scope and indicative budget in FCFA. 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.
