The verdict in three sentences
For a studio producing 3 series and 120 episodes a year, Excel sheets and WhatsApp groups no longer cut it: 18% overruns on an 8,000,000 FCFA episode budget add up to more than 170 million FCFA (about 260,000 EUR) of extra cost every year. Custom production management software, priced between 12,000,000 and 22,000,000 FCFA excl. VAT, connects shoot scheduling, crews, broadcast rights and actual costs. Bringing overruns down to 8% pays back the investment in under two quarters.
What a West African studio's tool must cover
The West African audiovisual market has professionalised with commissions from national channels, pan-African satellite bundles and streaming platforms. Broadcasters now demand fixed delivery dates, cost reports and rights traceability per territory. A head of production must therefore run four streams at once: pre-production (script breakdown, location scouting, casting), shooting (call sheets, crew attendance, equipment rental), post-production (editing, grading, mixing) and exploitation (rights sales, broadcast windows, royalties).
| Module | Current problem | Software function | Estimated 2026 gain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shoot scheduling | Call sheets in Excel, date clashes | Calendar per series, set and actor, clash alerts | 6 to 8 h per week |
| Technical crews | 40 crew members called via WhatsApp | Availability, call times, daily check-in | 15% less overtime |
| Episode budget | Variance found after wrap | Planned vs actual, line by line | Overrun cut from 18% to 8% |
| Equipment | Cameras and lights rented with no tracking | Booking, condition, returns, rental cost | 5% of equipment budget |
| Broadcast rights | Contracts scattered in PDFs | Rights register by territory, term, medium | Zero out-of-window airing |
| Post-production | Episode status unknown | Dashboard for edit, grade, delivery masters | On-time delivery for 95% of episodes |
What production software costs in West Africa in 2026
International scheduling or rights management tools cost 150 to 600 USD per user per month, do not handle FCFA or Wave and Orange Money for crew fees, and split scheduling and rights into two separate tools. Custom software makes sense once a studio passes 50 episodes a year.
| Option | Upfront cost | Annual recurring cost | Fit for the local market |
|---|---|---|---|
| Excel + WhatsApp | 0 FCFA | 0 FCFA but 18% overruns | No, no traceability |
| International SaaS (2 tools, 15 licences) | 1,500,000 FCFA setup | 25,000,000 to 45,000,000 FCFA | Partial, no FCFA or mobile money |
| Custom core version (scheduling + budget) | 12,000,000 FCFA excl. VAT (18,300 EUR) | 1,800,000 FCFA maintenance | Yes |
| Custom full version (scheduling, budget, rights, post) | 18,000,000 to 22,000,000 FCFA excl. VAT | 2,400,000 to 3,300,000 FCFA | Yes, multi-series and multi-territory |
| Secure cloud hosting | Included | 900,000 to 1,800,000 FCFA | Daily backups |
| Crew mobile app | 2,500,000 FCFA excl. VAT | Included in maintenance | Offline check-in on set |
Delivery takes 10 to 14 weeks: 2 weeks of scoping with the head of production and the rights manager, 8 weeks of modular development, 2 to 4 weeks of testing on a real shoot. These amounts are a 2026 order of magnitude for a scope of 3 series and 40 crew members.
Rights management: the module broadcasters look at
A West African series now sells in several windows: first national broadcast, pick-up by a pan-African bundle, international streaming, then catalogue. Each contract sets a territory, a term, an exclusivity and a fee. Without a register, a studio risks selling the same territory twice or letting a profitable window lapse.
| Tracked item | Example | Automatic alert |
|---|---|---|
| Territory | Côte d'Ivoire, francophone Africa, worldwide | Exclusivity conflict |
| Window | 18 months from first broadcast | 60 days before expiry |
| Medium | Linear TV, SVOD, AVOD | Incompatible sale |
| Fee | 1,500,000 to 6,000,000 FCFA per episode | Payment due date |
| Rights holders | Writers, composers, actors | Royalty to pay |
Mini case study
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Yao, head of production at a studio in Cocody, Abidjan, runs 3 series and 120 episodes at 8,000,000 FCFA, a 960,000,000 FCFA annual budget. His 18% overruns cost 172,800,000 FCFA. With full software at 20,000,000 FCFA excl. VAT and 3,000,000 FCFA in maintenance, he targets overruns of 8%, or 76,800,000 FCFA. Gross gain: 96,000,000 FCFA a year (about 146,000 EUR). Even capturing only half of it, 48,000,000 FCFA, the tool pays back in around 6 months. On top of that, his production assistant gets back 7 hours of coordination per week.
FAQ
How long does it take to deploy production management software?
Allow 10 to 14 weeks for a full version. A first scheduling and budget release can run in 6 weeks, so it can be used from the next season.
Does the software work on a set without connectivity?
Yes, the crew mobile app records check-ins and call sheets offline, then syncs as soon as the network returns. That is essential for shoots outside major cities.
Can crew fees be paid via Wave or Orange Money?
Yes, the freelance payroll module can generate mobile money payment orders with receipts. A studio paying 40 crew members weekly typically saves 4 to 5 hours of processing.
Are rights and contract data secure?
Access is role-based, contracts are encrypted and backed up daily. Hosting costs 900,000 to 1,800,000 FCFA a year depending on the volume of rushes and documents.
Can the software grow to more series or a catalogue?
Yes, the architecture is multi-series from day one. Adding a catalogue module or a broadcaster portal costs roughly 3,000,000 to 6,000,000 FCFA excl. VAT.
Let's scope your project. Send us your number of series, episodes and crew members: we will price the scope, between 12 and 22 million FCFA excl. VAT, with a 10 to 14 week delivery plan. 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.
