The verdict in three sentences
An in-house ordering app shifts you from paying 15-30% commission to Glovo or Jumia Food, to a model where you keep the margin and the customer data. The budget lands between 800,000 and 4,000,000 FCFA depending on whether you go web app or native, with a 3-8 week timeline. Past a certain order volume, the app pays for itself within a few months.
What an ordering app covers
A serious ordering app is more than a menu online. It ties together the catalogue, cart, mobile money payment, delivery/takeaway management and tracking notifications. Here is the scope by tier, as a 2026 order of magnitude.
| Scope | Web app (PWA) | Native iOS/Android app |
|---|---|---|
| Dynamic menu + photos | Included | Included |
| Cart + options/variants | Included | Included |
| Wave / Orange Money payment | Included | Included |
| Delivery + takeaway | Included | Included |
| Push notifications | Web push | Reliable native push |
| Customer account + history | Included | Included |
| Development price | 800,000 – 2,000,000 FCFA | 2,500,000 – 4,000,000 FCFA |
| Timeline | 3 – 5 weeks | 6 – 8 weeks |
For 80% of restaurants, an installable web app (PWA) covers the need without native development costs or app store fees.
The real issue: commission avoided
Delivery platforms charge heavily for visibility. Let us compare the real cost of a 10,000 FCFA order by channel.
| Channel | Commission | You collect | Customer data |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delivery platform (25%) | 2,500 FCFA | 7,500 FCFA | No |
| Platform (15%) | 1,500 FCFA | 8,500 FCFA | No |
| In-house app + Wave | ~100 FCFA fee | 9,900 FCFA | Yes |
| Takeaway, in-house app | 0 FCFA | 10,000 FCFA | Yes |
| Recurring app cost/month | 25,000 – 75,000 FCFA | — | — |
On a platform at 25%, every 10,000 FCFA order costs you 2,500 FCFA. With your own app you only pay the mobile money transaction fee.
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Mini case study
Fatou runs a restaurant in Dakar doing 600 orders/month via a delivery platform at 25%, average basket 9,000 FCFA. She therefore pays 600 × 9,000 × 25% = 1,350,000 FCFA/month in commission. By moving half of those orders to a web app costing 1,500,000 FCFA (50,000 FCFA/month recurring), she saves ~675,000 FCFA/month in commission minus 50,000 = 625,000 FCFA net. The app is paid back in under 3 months, then generates pure margin.
FAQ
Web app or native app, which to choose? For online ordering, an installable PWA is enough in the vast majority of cases and costs 2-3 times less (800,000 – 2,000,000 FCFA vs 2,500,000 – 4,000,000). Native is mainly justified for heavy push and multi-location chains.
How long to go live? Count on 3 to 5 weeks for a full web app with mobile money payment, 6 to 8 weeks for native published on the stores.
What are the recurring costs? Hosting, domain, maintenance and updates typically run 25,000 to 75,000 FCFA/month, excluding mobile money transaction fees (often ~1%).
Build or buy: develop or subscribe to a solution? An ordering SaaS is fast but takes a commission or high subscription. Custom development costs more upfront but you own it and removes the recurring commission — profitable from a few hundred orders/month.
Can I keep Glovo or Jumia Food too? Yes. Many restaurants keep platforms for acquisition and push regular customers to the in-house app, where the margin is much better.
Let's talk about your project. We will price your ordering app together and pinpoint the exact threshold where it beats the platforms. 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.