The verdict in three sentences
From Touba, you can sell to Dakar, Thiès, Ziguinchor and the diaspora without opening a second shop, but only if your selling price includes delivery and payment fees. Most merchants who start on WhatsApp lose money on intercity parcels because they price as they would in the shop. The Kolonell Academy course E-commerce : vendre en ligne au Sénégal et en Afrique francophone (12 h, 50,000 FCFA, taught in French) gives you the pricing method, sales scripts and a clean Wave and Orange Money payment setup.
What an online sale from Touba really costs
Touba's market follows the rhythm of the Magal, major holidays and diaspora orders. Flagship products (bazin, incense, prayer beads, religious books, thiouraye) travel well and sell remotely. The trap lies elsewhere: every parcel leaving for Dakar or Kolda carries a cost the customer never sees.
| Cost item (2026 order of magnitude) | Typical amount | Impact on a 15,000 FCFA sale |
|---|---|---|
| Delivery Touba to Dakar (carrier or bus) | 2,000 to 3,000 FCFA | 13 to 20% of the price |
| Delivery to Ziguinchor, Kédougou or Matam | 3,500 to 5,000 FCFA | 23 to 33% of the price |
| Wave merchant payment fee | about 1% | 150 FCFA |
| Sturdy packaging (bag, box, tape) | 300 to 700 FCFA | 2 to 5% |
| Last-mile courier in Dakar | 1,000 to 1,500 FCFA | 7 to 10% |
| Return or refused parcel (1 in 15 on average) | 3,000 FCFA lost | 1.3% spread over 15 sales |
On a 15,000 FCFA basket shipped to Dakar, hidden costs easily reach 3,500 to 5,000 FCFA. If your in-store gross margin is 30%, or 4,500 FCFA, a badly priced sale earns almost nothing. The course teaches you to set a floor price product by product and to choose between delivery included, delivery charged or a free-delivery threshold.
Getting trained: options and prices in 2026
You have three ways to learn online selling. The table compares what you pay and what you get.
| Option | Indicative price | Duration | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free YouTube videos and tutorials | 0 FCFA (plus data) | variable | generic advice, rarely adapted to Wave, Orange Money and regional delivery |
| International online certificate | 20,000 to 60,000 FCFA | 10 to 30 h | methods built for Shopify, Amazon and bank cards |
| In-person workshop in Dakar | 75,000 to 200,000 FCFA, plus travel and lodging from Touba | 1 to 3 days | direct contact, but travel and days with the shop closed |
| Kolonell Academy, level 2 of the e-commerce track | 50,000 FCFA | 12 h, self-paced | margin pricing, WhatsApp scripts, delivery, Wave and Orange Money, certificate |
| Full e-commerce track (5 levels) | 350,000 FCFA instead of 450,000 | full progression | from the WhatsApp catalog to running an online store |
The course E-commerce: selling online in Senegal and francophone Africa is level 2 of the track, open to beginners, and is taught in French. You follow it on your phone, between customers, without closing the shop. If you want to go further (website, stock, management), the E-commerce and online sales track bundles all 5 levels for 350,000 FCFA instead of 450,000 FCFA when bought separately.
What you will be able to do after 12 hours
| Skill | Concrete result for a Touba merchant |
|---|---|
| Price with margin | a grid per product that includes delivery and the 1% payment fee |
| Organize delivery | a clear rate per zone: Touba and Mbacké, Dakar, remote regions, diaspora |
| Collect with Wave and Orange Money | payment before shipping or a deposit, no unclaimed cash-on-delivery parcels |
| Write WhatsApp scripts | standard replies for price, delivery and Magal lead times |
| Build loyalty | reminders to diaspora customers before Tabaski, Korité and the Magal |
| Track your numbers | weekly net margin on a single sheet |
The course does not promise any revenue. It gives you a method so that each online sale is profitable, which is the condition for making more of them.
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.
Cheikh, 31, runs a bazin and incense shop at Touba's Ocass market. He already sends about twenty parcels a month to Dakar through WhatsApp, averaging 15,000 FCFA, with free delivery. His real costs per parcel: 2,500 FCFA transport, 1,200 FCFA Dakar courier, 500 FCFA packaging and 150 FCFA Wave fee, totaling 4,350 FCFA. With a gross margin of 4,500 FCFA, he earns 150 FCFA per parcel, or 3,000 FCFA a month.
After the course, he charges 2,000 FCFA for delivery to Dakar and offers free delivery above 30,000 FCFA. His customers group their purchases: estimated average basket 22,000 FCFA. Over 20 parcels, his net margin rises to about 2,500 FCFA per parcel, or 50,000 FCFA a month. The 50,000 FCFA course pays for itself in about one month, as a 2026 order of magnitude, without selling a single extra item.
FAQ
Do I need a website to take the course?
No. The course starts from WhatsApp Business, Wave and Orange Money, which let you collect your first online order within 30 days. The website comes in later track levels, once your volume exceeds about fifty orders a month.
How do I sell to the diaspora in France or Italy from Touba?
The course covers remote payment (international Wave, transfers, payment links) and shipping through grouped parcels or a relative who travels. Sending 1 kg to Europe costs around 8,000 to 15,000 FCFA in 2026, and it must appear in your price.
How long does it take to complete the 12 hours?
At 30 minutes a day, allow about 4 weeks. Lessons are short and work on a phone, even on a 3G connection.
Is the course in Wolof?
The course is in plain French, with Senegalese examples and amounts in FCFA. Everyday reading skills are enough, and the WhatsApp message templates can be adapted into Wolof.
Do I get a certificate?
Yes, a Kolonell Academy certificate is issued after you pass the quizzes and the final project, which is your own store ready to sell.
Take the next step. Enroll in E-commerce: selling online in Senegal and francophone Africa: 12 h self-paced, 50,000 FCFA, Kolonell Academy certificate. 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.
