The verdict in three sentences
A self-service portal unclogs support by letting customers help themselves: view and pay invoices, open a ticket, search a knowledge base. The 2026 build runs 7 to 15 M FCFA (roughly 11,000-23,000 EUR), with integrated Wave/OM payment adding 1.5 to 3 M FCFA. In steady state it cuts email tickets by 30 to 45%, and that's where the investment pays back.
Build: custom vs generic SaaS module
The choice is between a portal fitted to your processes and a generic SaaS module, faster to deploy but rigid on local payment.
| Scope | Build (FCFA) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| MVP (account, invoices, tickets) | 7,000,000 - 9,500,000 | 8-10 wks |
| Standard (+ knowledge base, reminders) | 9,500,000 - 12,500,000 | 10-11 wks |
| Extended (+ payment, alerts, statuses) | 12,500,000 - 15,000,000 | 11-12 wks |
| Integrated Wave / Orange Money payment | +1,500,000 - 3,000,000 | +2-3 wks |
Local mobile payment (Wave, Orange Money) is the real differentiator: a generic SaaS module rarely handles it natively, forcing workarounds.
The 3-year TCO in FCFA
On top of the build come hosting and maintenance. Expect 70,000 to 180,000 FCFA/month for hosting and 18% of the build per year for maintenance.
| Line item (36 months) | 2026 ballpark |
|---|---|
| Initial build | 7,000,000 - 15,000,000 |
| Wave/OM payment | 1,500,000 - 3,000,000 |
| Hosting (3 years) | 2,520,000 - 6,480,000 |
| Maintenance (18%/yr) | 3,780,000 - 8,100,000 |
| 3-year TCO | 12,000,000 - 26,000,000 |
Wave/OM transaction fees (borne by the merchant or passed on) are separate and depend on volume; they aren't part of the build.
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Mini case study
Marie, owner of a services SME in Montreal (IT maintenance, 320 active clients) wants to unclog a support team buried in invoice and status requests. She scopes an Extended portal + payment at 15 M FCFA build, 3-year TCO ≈ 23 M FCFA. Support handles ~640 tickets/month, of which 38% are about invoices or payment reminders, all automatable. A 40% drop frees ~250 tickets/month, i.e. ~0.8 support FTE reclaimed (≈ 350,000 FCFA/month). As a bonus, Wave/OM payment shortens the average collection delay by 12 days. Estimated payback: 16 months.
FAQ
Why not just take a generic SaaS module? It deploys fast but handles Wave/Orange Money poorly and adapts little to your invoice statuses. In this market, native local payment often justifies going custom.
What ticket reduction can we expect? 30 to 45% in steady state, mostly on invoice, status and payment requests, the most repetitive and automatable.
Is online payment hard to integrate? Wave and Orange Money offer payment APIs and webhooks. Budget 1.5 to 3 M FCFA for a tested integration with reliable payment confirmation.
How much is hosting? Roughly 70,000 to 180,000 FCFA/month depending on traffic and document volume, to plan in the initial budget.
Can we launch an MVP then expand? Yes: an invoices + tickets MVP at 8 M FCFA validates adoption, then knowledge base and payment come in batch 2.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your client count, ticket volume and Wave/OM payment needs, and we'll price build + 3-year TCO in FCFA. Detailed quote within 48 h. 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.
