The verdict in three sentences
If you sell clothes, cosmetics or cereals in Kaolack and your customers already message you on WhatsApp, the level 1 course "Selling on WhatsApp" teaches you to run that WhatsApp as a real shop: catalogue, tracked orders, verified payments. It costs 25,000 FCFA (about 38 EUR) for 5 hours, can be followed entirely on a smartphone, and has no prerequisites. Module 1 is free: read it before paying, it is the best way to know whether the course suits you.
Before enrolling: what you really need
The course Selling on WhatsApp: catalogue, orders and payments, taught in French, is level 1, Beginner, of the E-commerce and Online Selling track. It requires very little equipment, by design.
| Practical question | Answer | Indicative 2026 cost |
|---|---|---|
| Which phone? | An Android phone or iPhone | The one you already have |
| Which connection? | A regular internet connection, 3G is enough to read the lessons | Your usual data plan |
| A second SIM? | Ideal to separate shop and family, not mandatory | A few hundred FCFA (Orange, Free or Expresso) |
| WhatsApp Business? | Free app on Android and iPhone | 0 FCFA |
| A Kolonell app to install? | No, everything is read in the browser | 0 FCFA |
| Course price | Level 1 Beginner, 5 h | 25,000 FCFA (about 38 EUR) |
| Payment | Wave or Orange Money at +221 77 596 93 33 | Access activated within 24 working hours |
If you prefer to keep your current number, lesson 1 explains how to convert it to WhatsApp Business without losing your conversations. And if you have no stock yet, you can build the catalogue with 10 pre-order products or items supplied by a wholesaler, as long as you say so in your project.
What the 5 hours contain
Three modules, ten 15-minute lessons, an exercise applied to your own business after each lesson, a PDF handout and a quiz per module. Lessons are written, with no videos to download, which spares your data plan. The examples are fictional and set in Dakar, Pikine, Thiès and Abidjan, with amounts in FCFA.
| Module | What you do | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| 1 "Turning WhatsApp Business into a real shop" (free) | Dedicated number, full profile, 10-product catalogue, wa.me link and QR code | Configured account and catalogue in 2 or 3 collections |
| 2 "Taking and tracking orders without losing any" | Four-message order conversation, five labels, 6-column Google Sheets order book | No more orders noted from memory |
| 3 "Getting paid safely and bringing customers back" | Check every Wave or Orange Money payment in the app, never on a screenshot, deposit rule, statuses and broadcast lists | 5-line payment rule and 7-day follow-up plan |
| Final project | Your WhatsApp shop up and running in 7 days | A concrete, reusable deliverable to submit |
The free module 1 alone covers switching to a shop profile, building the catalogue with photo, FCFA price and description, greeting and away messages, quick replies, then the wa.me link, the printable QR code and the launch status. Many learners complete the whole course in a week, at 45 minutes a day.
Once you pass the module quizzes with at least 70 %, you receive a numbered Kolonell Academy certificate, verifiable online (QR code), to add to LinkedIn; your final project must also be approved by a reviewer. Access is for life, updates included. For questions during the course, the course forum and WhatsApp support are available.
What a WhatsApp shop can represent, and what comes next
The syllabus quotes this order of magnitude observed in Dakar in 2026: a well-run WhatsApp shop often handles 5 to 15 orders a week at the start, or 150,000 to 600,000 FCFA in monthly sales depending on the average basket. That is revenue, not profit, and nothing is guaranteed: it depends on the product, the price and your consistency.
| Average basket | Orders per week | Indicative monthly sales |
|---|---|---|
| 7,500 FCFA (cosmetics) | 5 | about 150,000 FCFA |
| 10,000 FCFA (local cereals) | 8 | about 320,000 FCFA |
| 12,500 FCFA (clothing) | 12 | about 600,000 FCFA |
Afterwards, if you want to go further, level 2 "E-commerce: selling online in Senegal" teaches you to set prices that leave a margin, deliver to the regions and the diaspora, and also sell on Facebook, Instagram and Google. The E-commerce and Online Selling track has 5 levels, and the full track costs 350,000 FCFA instead of 450,000.
Mini case study
Learn this skill with Kolonell Academy
Short, practical online courses (taught in French), graded exercises, certificate. Pay with Wave or Orange Money.
Consider a hypothetical learner: Awa, 24, who sells wax prints and ceremonial outfits from home in the Léona district of Kaolack. Her customers message her personal number, and she remembers orders in her head.
Illustrative calculation: with an average basket of 12,000 FCFA and a 30 % margin, each order leaves her about 3,600 FCFA. If the order book and quick replies help her avoid forgetting even two orders a week, that is about 7,200 FCFA of margin per week. The 25,000 FCFA course would then be covered in just under four weeks. This is only an illustration, not a result achieved: your figures will depend on your products and your customers.
FAQ
How long does the course take?
About 5 hours in total: ten 15-minute lessons, their exercises and the final project. At 45 minutes a day, many learners finish in a week.
Can I do everything from my phone?
Yes. Lessons can be read on a smartphone, even on 3G, with no app to install, and WhatsApp Business is free. A second SIM costs a few hundred FCFA but is not mandatory.
How do I pay and when do I get access?
You pay 25,000 FCFA by Wave or Orange Money at +221 77 596 93 33. Access is activated within 24 working hours of payment and remains valid for life.
Can I get a refund if the course does not suit me?
No, access is non-refundable once activated. That is why module 1 is free: read its four lessons before paying.
Do I get a diploma?
You receive a numbered Kolonell Academy certificate, verifiable online via QR code, by passing the quizzes with at least 70 %; your final project must also be approved by a reviewer. It is not a state diploma, but you can add it to LinkedIn.
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Take the next step. Enroll in Selling on WhatsApp: catalogue, orders and payments: 5 hours, 25,000 FCFA (about 38 EUR), verifiable Kolonell Academy certificate, free module 1 to try first. Pay with Wave or Orange Money. Questions? 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.
