The verdict in three sentences
A referral partner's real wealth isn't the one-off commission but the recurring that stacks. At 5% on a 100,000 FCFA/month maintenance contract, each client is worth 5,000 FCFA/month — trivial alone, decisive across 20 clients: 100,000 FCFA/month passive. With churn under 10%, this book of retainers becomes an asset that pays even in slow months.
Project commission or recurring income: the difference over 12 months
A showcase sale pays once. A maintenance, SEO or hosting retainer pays every month it runs. Compare what the same client earns you:
| Line item | Client amount | Your share (5%) | Over 12 months |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maintenance | 100,000 FCFA/month | 5,000 FCFA/month | 60,000 FCFA |
| SEO | 150,000 FCFA/month | 7,500 FCFA/month | 90,000 FCFA |
| Managed hosting | 25,000 FCFA/month | 1,250 FCFA/month | 15,000 FCFA |
| Total / client | 275,000 FCFA/month | 13,750 FCFA/month | 165,000 FCFA |
A full-retainer client therefore earns you 165,000 FCFA over the year on top of the initial sale commission.
How recurring compounds across a book
The secret is accumulation: each new client adds to the previous ones without replacing them. Here is the ramp-up of a partner signing 2 recurring clients/month (2026 ballpark):
| Month | Recurring clients | Monthly recurring | Cumulative received |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 6 | ~30,000 FCFA | ~60,000 FCFA |
| 6 | 12 | ~60,000 FCFA | ~270,000 FCFA |
| 9 | 18 | ~90,000 FCFA | ~540,000 FCFA |
| 12 | 24 | ~120,000 FCFA | ~900,000 FCFA |
With churn kept under 10%/year, the curve only rises. It's income that works while you sleep.
Mini case study
Moussa, a real-estate agent in Dakar, referred 20 clients in a year, all on maintenance at 100,000 FCFA/month. His recurring share: 20 × 5,000 = 100,000 FCFA/month passive, paid via Orange Money. Two clients add SEO at 150,000 FCFA/month, i.e. 2 × 7,500 = 15,000 FCFA/month more. Total: 115,000 FCFA/month with no new sale. Meanwhile Moussa keeps referring, and his book grows every month.
Why the Kolonell referral program bets on recurring
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Kolonell pays 5% recurring on all maintenance, SEO and hosting contracts, on top of the sale commission (15% showcase, 12% e-commerce, 10% marketplace, 8% institutional). Recurring is paid monthly via Wave or Orange Money for as long as the client stays. Your referral work capitalizes: you build an asset, not a series of isolated hits.
FAQ
Is the recurring income really passive?
Largely: once the client is referred and the contract signed, the agency handles the service and pays your share each month. Your only interest is to watch satisfaction to limit churn.
What happens if a client ends their contract?
You stop receiving that client's recurring share, which is why low churn matters. At under 10%/year, the loss is more than offset by newly referred clients.
How many clients to live off recurring?
At 5,000 FCFA/month per maintenance client, you need roughly 40 to 60 clients to reach 200,000 to 300,000 FCFA/month. That's achievable in 18 to 24 months of steady referring.
Does recurring add to the sale commission?
Yes. You first earn the one-off commission (e.g. 75,000 FCFA on a showcase site), then the 5% monthly recurring as long as the client keeps their contract.
How do you maximize recurring per client?
Encourage bundled services: maintenance + SEO + hosting. A full-retainer client is worth up to ~13,750 FCFA/month to you, versus 5,000 for maintenance alone.
Let's talk about your project. Build a book of retainers that pays every month: we'll show you how to start. 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.
