The verdict in three sentences
In Thiès, the fabric seller at the Central market, the restaurant owner in Randoulène or the craftsman in Nguinth already receives orders by message, but without a method part of them get lost between voice notes, forgotten replies and unpaid orders. The Kolonell course Selling on WhatsApp: catalog, orders and payments, taught in French, costs 25,000 FCFA for 5 hours and teaches you to turn the free WhatsApp Business app into a real shop with a catalog, order tracking and payment through Wave or Orange Money. It is level 1 Essential: a skill you can use this week, with no website or ad budget.
What WhatsApp Business offers for free, and how to use it
The app is free, but most traders only use the chat. Here are the features that move revenue, with 2026 benchmarks.
| WhatsApp Business feature | 2026 benchmark | How the course teaches it |
|---|---|---|
| Product catalog | Free, up to 500 products | Photos, price, description, shareable link |
| Status updates | Seen by 30 to 60% of contacts | A plan of 3 to 5 statuses a day that sell |
| Quick replies | Unlimited shortcuts | Price, delivery, payment methods in 2 seconds |
| Labels | Colors per stage | New order, paid, delivered, follow up |
| Away and greeting messages | Automatic | Stop losing evening orders |
| wa.me link | Free | Paste it on Facebook, TikTok and packaging |
The program has three modules: turning WhatsApp Business into a real shop, taking and tracking orders without losing any, then getting paid safely and bringing customers back. Each module ends with an exercise applied to your own business and a quiz.
Comparing ways to learn in Thiès
| Option | 2026 price | Duration | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kolonell course, level 1 Essential | 25,000 FCFA | 5 h online | You need to apply it as you go |
| In-person workshop at a center or chamber of commerce | 30,000 to 75,000 FCFA | 1 to 2 days | Fixed hours, shop closed |
| One-to-one coaching by a community manager | 50,000 to 150,000 FCFA | 2 to 4 sessions | Expensive for a start |
| Free YouTube tutorials | 0 FCFA (excluding data) | Variable | Rarely adapted to Wave, OM and local delivery |
To go further afterwards, this course opens the E-commerce and online selling track, which goes up to running an e-commerce business. All 5 levels together cost 350,000 FCFA instead of 450,000 FCFA.
Delivery and payment: the Thiès figures
Thiès is about 70 km from Dakar, which opens a market of several million people, provided shipping and payment are well managed.
| Item | 2026 order of magnitude | Good practice taught |
|---|---|---|
| Delivery Thiès to Dakar | 2,000 to 3,000 FCFA | Price shown in the delivery quick reply |
| Motorbike delivery within Thiès | 500 to 1,000 FCFA | Free zone above a minimum basket |
| Wave merchant fees | About 1% | Built into the price, never added at the last minute |
| Orders lost without tracking | 10 to 20% of requests | Labels and a follow-up at 24 h |
| Refusals on cash on delivery | 10 to 25% | Wave or OM deposit for shipments to Dakar |
Mini case study
Mame Diarra, 34, sells bazin and wax fabrics at the Thiès market. She gets about 40 requests a month on WhatsApp but closes only 15, because she replies late in the evening and never follows up.
After the course, she creates a catalog of 60 fabrics, sets up a greeting message with her delivery prices and sorts every conversation with labels. She asks for a 50% Wave deposit on shipments to Dakar.
Learn this skill with Kolonell Academy
Short, practical online courses (taught in French), graded exercises, certificate. Pay with Wave or Orange Money.
- Course cost: 25,000 FCFA.
- Assumption: she goes from 15 to 21 closed orders a month, with an average margin of 4,000 FCFA per order.
- Monthly gain: 6 orders × 4,000 FCFA = 24,000 FCFA, so the course pays for itself in a little over 4 weeks.
This scenario is illustrative: results depend on your product, your photos and your consistency.
FAQ
Do I need a special phone for WhatsApp Business?
No, a recent Android phone or iPhone is enough. The app is free and can run on a number separate from your personal WhatsApp, which is advisable from 20 regular customers.
How long does it take to set up the catalog?
Allow 2 to 3 hours for 30 products with photos taken on your phone. The 5-hour course includes this setup, module by module.
How do I pay for the course?
The 25,000 FCFA payment is made by Wave or Orange Money. Online access opens as soon as it is confirmed, and you keep the materials.
Can I sell to Dakar without a dedicated courier?
Yes, many Thiès sellers use transport companies or per-trip couriers, for 2,000 to 3,000 FCFA per parcel. The course shows how to announce it clearly and secure payment before shipping.
What comes after level 1?
Level 2, E-commerce: selling online in Senegal, costs 50,000 FCFA for 12 hours and adds a Facebook shop, product pages and diaspora delivery. The full track costs 350,000 FCFA instead of 450,000 FCFA.
Take the next step. Enroll in Selling on WhatsApp: catalog, orders and payments: 5 hours online, taught in French, 25,000 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.
