The verdict in three sentences
In Dakar, a recruiter spends on average less than a minute on a CV, and a misaligned document with three different fonts goes straight to the bin. Mastering Word at a professional level (styles, automatic table of contents, templates, mail merge) is the most profitable office skill for a young graduate or an administrative assistant. Kolonell's "Professional Word" course costs 50,000 FCFA (about 76 EUR) for 10 hours online with a certificate, less than most Plateau training centres, without leaving your desk or paying for transport.
How much does Word training cost in Dakar in 2026?
Prices vary widely by format. Here is a 2026 order of magnitude observed in Dakar and online:
| Option | 2026 price | Duration | Certificate | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Training centre in the Plateau | 60,000 to 120,000 FCFA (91 to 183 EUR) | 20 h over 2 to 4 weeks | Yes, centre attestation | Fixed hours, transport 1,000 to 2,000 FCFA per day |
| Private tutor at home | 5,000 to 10,000 FCFA per hour | 10 h = 50,000 to 100,000 FCFA | No | Very uneven quality |
| Free YouTube tutorials | 0 FCFA (data: 3,000 to 5,000 FCFA) | Unlimited, unstructured | No | No progression, no correction |
| International online certificates | 30,000 to 100,000 FCFA (46 to 152 EUR) | 10 to 30 h | Yes, often in English | Bank card required, examples out of context |
| Kolonell "Professional Word" | 50,000 FCFA (76 EUR) | 10 h online | Yes, Kolonell Academy certificate | Taught in French, exercises on real CVs and reports |
The real cost of a physical centre includes transport and hours lost in traffic on the VDN or the toll road: over 10 sessions, add 10,000 to 20,000 FCFA. The Kolonell Academy Professional Word course, taught in French, is self-paced from a laptop, with corrected exercises.
What Word actually earns on the Dakar job market
Word is not a job in itself, but it gates access to many office positions. 2026 order of magnitude for monthly salaries in Dakar:
| Position | 2026 monthly salary (order of magnitude) | Use of Word | Expected Word level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Junior administrative assistant | 150,000 to 250,000 FCFA (229 to 381 EUR) | Letters, minutes, memos | Styles, tables, templates |
| Executive secretary | 250,000 to 400,000 FCFA (381 to 610 EUR) | Reports, minutes, mail merge | Table of contents, track changes, mail merge |
| HR assistant | 200,000 to 350,000 FCFA (305 to 534 EUR) | Contracts, certificates, job descriptions | Templates, fields, mail merge |
| Junior NGO project officer | 350,000 to 600,000 FCFA (534 to 915 EUR) | Donor reports of 30 to 80 pages | Styles, captions, table of contents |
| Freelance writer or secretary | 2,000 to 5,000 FCFA per page | Formatting dissertations and theses | Advanced layout |
During thesis defence season, formatting dissertations is a real source of income around UCAD and private schools: 15,000 to 40,000 FCFA per dissertation depending on length, as a 2026 order of magnitude.
What you learn at level 2 Practical
The "Professional Word" course is level 2 Practical of the Office and Productivity track. It assumes you can already type a text and save it.
| Module | Skill | Concrete result |
|---|---|---|
| Styles and headings | Format consistently in 2 clicks | A consistent 40-page report |
| Automatic table of contents | Generate and update the table of contents | No more wrong page numbers |
| CV and cover letter | Clean layout, columns, tidy bullets | A CV readable in 30 seconds |
| Templates | Reusable header, footer and logo | Uniform company letters |
| Mail merge | Send 100 personalised letters from a list | 2 hours of work cut to 10 minutes |
| Review and PDF | Track changes, clean PDF export | Documents ready to send |
The full track has 5 levels and costs 350,000 FCFA instead of 450,000 FCFA (about 534 EUR instead of 686 EUR) if you want to go on to advanced Excel and work organisation.
Mini case study
Learn this skill with Kolonell Academy
Short, practical online courses (taught in French), graded exercises, certificate. Pay with Wave or Orange Money.
Awa, 24, a management graduate in Dakar, has been sending applications for six months with a hand-made CV. She takes the Professional Word course over 3 weeks, in the evenings, for 50,000 FCFA paid with Wave. She rebuilds her CV and cover letter, then lands an administrative assistant job at 180,000 FCFA per month in an SME in Mermoz.
Simple maths: 50,000 FCFA is 28% of her first monthly salary, about 8 working days. On the side, she formats 2 final-year dissertations at 20,000 FCFA each, which already covers 80% of the course before her first payslip. These are orders of magnitude, not a guarantee: hiring also depends on profile and network.
FAQ
Is the Kolonell certificate recognised by employers in Dakar?
It is a private Kolonell Academy certificate, not a state diploma. It proves you completed the 10 hours and passed the exercises, and above all your newly formatted CV becomes proof of your level.
Do I need a computer to take the course?
Yes, Word is practised on a computer. A second-hand laptop at 120,000 to 200,000 FCFA (183 to 305 EUR) is enough, or a cybercafé at 300 to 500 FCFA per hour for the exercises.
I do not know Word at all, which level should I start with?
If you cannot yet save a file or copy and paste, start with level 1 Essential of the track at 25,000 FCFA (38 EUR). If you already type your documents, level 2 at 50,000 FCFA is the right entry point.
How much time should I plan per week?
The 10 hours spread well over 3 weeks at 3 to 4 hours per week. Allow 2 more hours to rebuild your own CV during the course.
How do I pay from Senegal?
Payment is by Wave or Orange Money, no bank card needed. Access opens as soon as the payment is confirmed.
Take the next step. Enroll in Professional Word: CVs, reports and documents that inspire confidence: 10 hours online, taught in French, 50,000 FCFA (76 EUR), with a Kolonell Academy certificate. Pay with Wave or Orange Money. Questions? 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.
