The verdict in three sentences
The development cost (1 to 4 M FCFA depending on tier) is only the foundation: you must also budget payments, delivery, launch marketing and hosting. A serious store's first year runs around 2,500,000 FCFA all-in, development included. From year two, only recurring costs remain — about 900,000 FCFA/year.
The development budget by tier
Development is the main line item, but the amount depends on catalogue size and features. Here are 2026 orders of magnitude for the Kenyan market (FCFA reference figures; KES equivalents are FX-dependent).
| Tier | Dev price | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | 1,000,000 FCFA | 50 products, M-Pesa + card checkout, dashboard |
| Growth | 2,000,000 FCFA | Unlimited catalogue, Stripe, promos, reviews, analytics |
| Premium | 4,000,000 FCFA | PWA, loyalty, multi-currency, AI recommendations |
A small business starting out usually picks the Growth tier at 2,000,000 FCFA: it covers native M-Pesa, promo codes and a seller dashboard, which is plenty for the first 18 months.
Costs beyond development
This is where most founders miscalculate. Once the dev is delivered, the store must collect payments, deliver, stay visible and stay online. Here is the ancillary budget for year one.
| Item | Year 1 amount | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Managed hosting | 300,000 FCFA (25,000 × 12) | Recurring |
| Maintenance | 600,000 FCFA (50,000 × 12) | Recurring |
| M-Pesa/card fees | 1 to 1.5 % of revenue | Variable |
| Launch marketing | 200,000 FCFA | One-off |
| Domain + SSL | 15,000 FCFA | Annual |
| Product photography | 100,000 FCFA | One-off |
Adding a Growth build (2,000,000 FCFA) and these ancillary items (~1,215,000 FCFA excluding payment fees), you reach a first-year budget of about 2.5 to 3.2 M FCFA depending on marketing ambition. In year two, only hosting, maintenance and payment fees remain: ~900,000 FCFA/year.
Mini case study
Wanjiru launches a ready-to-wear store in Nairobi. She picks the Growth tier (2,000,000 FCFA), adds hosting and maintenance (900,000 FCFA/year), 200,000 FCFA of marketing and 100,000 FCFA of photography. Year 1 budget: 3,200,000 FCFA. With an average basket of KES equivalent to 18,000 FCFA and 60 orders/month, she generates 12,960,000 FCFA of annual revenue. Even after removing 30 % product cost and fees, her store is profitable in under 8 months.
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FAQ
Why budget maintenance from day one?
An unmaintained store accumulates security holes and checkout bugs. At 50,000 FCFA/month, maintenance covers updates, backups and fixes — it's the insurance that your sales don't stop on a Sunday night.
How much do payment fees really cost?
Budget 1 to 1.5 % per M-Pesa or card transaction in 2026. On monthly revenue of 1,000,000 FCFA, that's 10,000 to 15,000 FCFA — a variable cost far below Shopify's 2 % outside Shopify Payments.
Is launch marketing essential?
Yes. Without the 200,000 FCFA launch (targeted Meta Ads + local influence), a store takes months to take off. This budget accelerates first sales and social proof.
Can you start for less than 2.5 M FCFA?
Yes, with the Starter tier at 1,000,000 FCFA and reduced marketing, you drop to around 1.6 M FCFA in year one. But you're limited to 50 products and lose Stripe for international.
Is hosting at 25,000 FCFA/month enough to scale?
For most stores up to a few thousand visitors/day, yes. Beyond that you move to higher hosting, but that's a good problem: it means traffic is booming.
Let's talk about your project. We'll build your first-year budget together, line by line, with no nasty surprises. 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.
