The verdict in three sentences
A referral partner's real wealth comes from recurring income, not the one-shot. On a maintenance contract at 100,000 FCFA/month, a 5% recurring commission earns 5,000 FCFA/month per client, or 60,000 FCFA/year per client as long as they stay. With 20 referred clients, that builds 1.2 million FCFA/year in passive income.
Why recurring beats the one-shot
The first-sale commission is nice but one-off: once banked, you need a new client. Recurring income compounds. Each referred, retained client adds a revenue brick that lands every month with no new effort. After a year, a steady partner lives off a passive stream that mechanically grows.
It's the snowball effect: the one-shot depends on this month's activity; recurring depends on the stock of clients you've built. The first makes you run, the second lets you sleep easy.
The compounding effect of recurring (5% on maintenance)
| Monthly maintenance | Recurring rate | Earning/month/client | Annual/client | 12 clients | 24 clients |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50,000 FCFA | 5% | 2,500 FCFA | 30,000 FCFA | 360,000 FCFA/yr | 720,000 FCFA/yr |
| 75,000 FCFA | 5% | 3,750 FCFA | 45,000 FCFA | 540,000 FCFA/yr | 1,080,000 FCFA/yr |
| 100,000 FCFA | 5% | 5,000 FCFA | 60,000 FCFA | 720,000 FCFA/yr | 1,440,000 FCFA/yr |
| 150,000 FCFA | 5% | 7,500 FCFA | 90,000 FCFA | 1,080,000 FCFA/yr | 2,160,000 FCFA/yr |
| 200,000 FCFA | 5% | 10,000 FCFA | 120,000 FCFA | 1,440,000 FCFA/yr | 2,880,000 FCFA/yr |
With 24 clients on maintenance at 100,000 FCFA/month, recurring alone tops 1.4 million FCFA/year, before the first-sale commissions already banked.
Recurring in the Kolonell referral scale
Only the showcase segment grants the 5% recurring, on top of the 15% first sale. Other segments pay a higher one-off commission on bigger tickets.
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| Segment | 1st sale | Maintenance recurring | Ideal profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Showcase site | 15% | 5%/month | Volume + passive income |
| E-commerce | 12% | — | Mid-size tickets |
| Marketplace | 10% | — | Big tickets, few clients |
| Institutional | 8% | — | Very big tickets, long cycle |
The winning strategy: build a stock of showcase clients on maintenance for recurring income, and top it up with a few big e-commerce or marketplace projects for immediate commissions.
Mini case study
Fatou, a referral partner in Rufisque. In 18 months she refers 22 showcase sites. Of those 22, 16 subscribe to maintenance at 75,000 FCFA/month. Her 5% recurring: 16 × 3,750 = 60,000 FCFA/month, or 720,000 FCFA/year in passive income. On top come the 15% first-sale commissions already earned (about 22 × 60,000 = 1,320,000 FCFA over the period). The recurring keeps landing even in months when she doesn't prospect.
FAQ
How much does recurring earn over a year? At 5% on 100,000 FCFA/month maintenance, each client earns 60,000 FCFA/year. With 20 clients, that's 1.2 million FCFA/year as long as they stay subscribed.
Does recurring ever stop? It runs as long as the client keeps their maintenance contract. Showcase maintenance retention often tops 80%/year, making the stream very stable.
Can you combine recurring and new sales? Yes, it's ideal: recurring forms a passive base while new sales add immediate commissions and new recurring streams.
How is recurring paid? Every month, as long as the client pays maintenance, via Wave or Orange Money. Kolonell provides a dashboard to track commissions per client.
Let's talk about your project. Build passive income with Kolonell's recurring referral commission. 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.
