Senegal MaaS: the 2026 window for a multimodal aggregator
MaaS (Mobility-as-a-Service) aggregates all transport modes of a city into a single app: planning + booking + unified payment. Global reference: Whim (Helsinki, acquired 2024), Citymapper (London), Moovit (Israel, acquired by Intel for 900 M USD).
Dakar 2026 finally has the raw material:
- BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) Petersen-Guédiawaye launched 2024, 18 km, 1 line, 23 stations
- TER (Regional Express Train) Dakar-Diamniadio (32 km), AIBD extension planned 2026-2027
- Dakar Dem Dikk classic bus network 100+ lines
- Yango + Heetch (ride-hailing): ~6,500 combined drivers in Dakar
- Yellow-black classic taxis: ~12,000 vehicles
- Carpooling emerging (see article AF7 PAIR 1)
- Bike sharing emerging (see article AF7 PAIR 3)
No app aggregates all this today. The market is open.
H2: The MaaS product
Multimodal trip planner. User enters origin + destination. App offers 3-5 options: "BRT 22 min 350 FCFA", "Yango 28 min 2,800 FCFA", "BRT + last km e-bike 26 min 950 FCFA", "TER + bus 38 min 600 FCFA".
Unified payment. Virtual rechargeable BRT card in-app + Wave + Orange Money + bank card. No need to pay cash separately in bus, taxi or scooter.
Unlimited multimodal monthly subscription. 18,000 FCFA / month = BRT + DDD bus + 30 Yango trips (≤25 km each) + 20 carpooling trips + unlimited bike sharing access. Target: salaried workers Plateau / Almadies (15,000-25,000 people).
Physical interoperable card. Open NFC BRT + DDD bus + bikes. Tap-in, tap-out. The SaaS handles operator reconciliation.
H2: Unit economics (per monthly subscriber)
| Item | FCFA |
|---|---|
| Monthly subscription revenue | 18,000 |
| BRT trip cost (28 / month × 350) | 9,800 |
| Yango trip cost (subsidized 30 × 1,800 net) | 5,400 |
| Carpooling trip cost (20 × 432) | 8,640 |
| Bike cost (B2B unlimited package) | 1,200 |
| Total trip cost | 25,040 |
| Gross margin per subscriber | -7,040 |
The 18,000 FCFA unlimited plan is not profitable alone. Strategy:
- Initial loss-leader for traction + data. 800 M-1.2 Bn FCFA funding finances 18 months.
- Renegotiate partner operator rates at 20K+ subscriber volumes (-30 to -45% vs public price).
- Geo-targeted ad cross-sell + anonymized data secondary revenue 4,200-6,800 FCFA / subscriber / month.
- "Light" plan 9,000 FCFA / month (BRT + unlimited bus + 5 ride-hailing trips) immediate positive margin.
Year 2 target: 35,000 subscribers across plans = 8.5-12 M FCFA gross margin / month.
H2: Investments and partnerships
| Item | Upfront | Monthly recurring |
|---|---|---|
| iOS + Android app + back office (6 devs × 9 months) | 78,000,000 FCFA | 14,500,000 FCFA |
| API integrations BRT + TER + DDD + Yango + Heetch + bikes | 32,000,000 FCFA dev | 4,500,000 FCFA support |
| Cloud infra + mapping + real-time | 4,500,000 FCFA | 3,800,000 FCFA |
| Physical NFC card (200K pre-funded units) | 24,000,000 FCFA | 2,200,000 FCFA |
| CETUD + Senter + Dakar Dem Dikk partnership (institutional negotiation) | 18,000,000 FCFA legal + consulting | 1,500,000 FCFA |
| Ops + customer success team (10 people) | 4,500,000 FCFA hiring | 14,200,000 FCFA |
| B2C + B2B enterprise acquisition marketing | 35,000,000 FCFA | 8,500,000 FCFA |
Total pre-launch investment: 196 M FCFA. Pre-revenue burn: ~49 M FCFA / month.
H2: The real challenge — operator partnerships
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The app code is not the issue. The issue is convincing:
- CETUD (Dakar Urban Transport Executive Council) that data + ticketing centralization benefits the ecosystem
- Senter (BRT operator) to open its ticketing + real-time API
- Yango + Heetch to give up 30-40% margin on MaaS trips in exchange for guaranteed volume
- Dakar Dem Dikk to modernize NFC ticketing (DDD still cash-dominant)
Without these 4 signed partnerships, the product does not work. Plan 12-18 months of institutional negotiation + show a credible prototype + bring financial backing (AfDB, AFD, Proparco).
H2: B2B enterprise model
Direct sales to HR directors of large companies (Sonatel, Orange, Société Générale, Total, UN, embassies):
- Employee mobility package instead of transport allowance
- 18,000 FCFA / employee / month billed to company (partial tax advantage)
- 50 employees × 18,000 = 900 KFCFA / month revenue
- 30 B2B contracts in year 2 = 27-45 M FCFA / month B2B revenue
FAQ
Is MaaS viable outside Europe?
Whim Helsinki profitable. Moovit acquired 900 M USD. But failures: Whim Antwerp, MaaS Global Birmingham. Success depends 80% on public operator partnerships + urban density. Dakar checks both boxes in 2026.
Why now and not in 2022?
Before 2024: no BRT, no TER, no ride-hailing mass. Today the 5 building blocks are in place. 18-24 month window before an international player (Bolt, Moovit) invests.
How to monetize without killing operator margins?
The MaaS model does not replace operators, it aggregates their demand. Operators give 8-15% margin in exchange for +25% volume. Net positive for them.
Why a subscription and not pay-as-you-go?
PAYG works but margin is thin and churn is high. Monthly subscription = 6-10× higher LTV + revenue predictability + habit lock-in.
What is the Series A ticket?
800 M-1.2 Bn FCFA for 24 months operations + integrations + marketing. Target investors: Partech Africa, TLcom, Norrsken22, Proparco, AFD Digital Africa.
Let's discuss your MaaS project
If you are launching a mobility aggregator in Senegal and need product architecture + API integrations + operator partnership strategy, we structure and execute. 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.
