The verdict in three sentences
In Saint-Louis, generative AI is already available for free on a simple phone, yet most users get answers that are too long, vague or wrong because they lack a method. A 10-hour practical course at 50,000 FCFA (76 EUR) teaches you to write requests that work, to summarise a 40-page report without missing anything and to organise your week with a reliable assistant. The observed gain, 2 to 6 hours a week depending on how much you write, pays back the course within a few weeks of freed-up time.
What AI at work costs in 2026
The good news for an employee in Saint-Louis: the tool is cheap. The free versions of ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini cover most office tasks. A paid subscription (about 12,000 FCFA per month) becomes useful for long documents and heavy use. What is missing is how to use it, and that is what the course is about.
| Expense | 2026 price (order of magnitude) | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini, free version | 0 FCFA | Enough for emails, letters, short summaries |
| Paid AI subscription | 11,000 to 13,000 FCFA per month (about 17 to 20 EUR) | Long documents, file analysis, higher quotas |
| Mobile data plan for daily use | 5,000 to 10,000 FCFA per month | Orange, Free or Expresso, 10 to 30 GB |
| Kolonell Academy, level 2 "Write, analyse and organise with AI" | 50,000 FCFA (76 EUR / about 83 USD), 10 h | Method, graded exercises, numbered certificate |
| In-person AI seminar in Dakar | 150,000 to 400,000 FCFA per day | Plus travel from Saint-Louis (4 h by road) |
| Free YouTube tutorials | 0 FCFA | No progression or correction |
The Write, analyse and organise your work with AI course, taught in French, is fully online, which saves the trip to Dakar. It is level 2 of the Artificial Intelligence track: if you have never opened an AI assistant, level 1 (5 h) covers the basics.
The tasks where AI saves the most time
The programme starts from the documents that pile up in Saint-Louis offices: administrative letters, meeting minutes, NGO reports, lesson plans, schedules. Each task is practised with a request method and a checking step, because AI still gets figures and references wrong.
| Task | Time by hand | Time with AI and a good method | Estimated weekly gain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative letter or email | 25 min | 8 min | 1 to 1.5 h |
| Meeting minutes from notes | 60 min | 20 min | 40 min to 1 h |
| Summary of a 40-page report | 2 to 3 h | 30 to 45 min | 1 to 2 h |
| Lesson plan or class exercise | 45 min | 15 min | 1 h for a teacher |
| Weekly schedule and priority list | 30 min | 10 min | 20 min |
| Post for an association's page | 30 min | 10 min | 20 to 40 min |
In total, an employee who writes a lot recovers 2 to 6 hours a week. This is an estimate: it depends on the job and on checking discipline. The course also stresses confidentiality: never paste personal data about a citizen, a pupil or a beneficiary into a public tool.
Mini case study
Moussa, 38, a monitoring officer at an NGO in Saint-Louis, writes two activity reports and about ten sets of minutes every month. It takes him around 14 hours a month. After the 10-hour course, paid 50,000 FCFA via Orange Money, he is down to 6 hours a month: he saves 8 hours monthly. Valued at the hourly cost of his role (about 2,500 FCFA on a 420,000 FCFA salary), that is 20,000 FCFA of time per month: the course pays for itself in about 10 weeks, not counting reports delivered on time. Illustrative example, to adapt to your actual workload.
Learn this skill with Kolonell Academy
Short, practical online courses (taught in French), graded exercises, certificate. Pay with Wave or Orange Money.
FAQ
Do I need an AI subscription to take the course?
No. All exercises work with the free versions of ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini. The subscription at about 12,000 FCFA per month only becomes useful beyond several long documents a week.
Is the course suitable for teachers?
Yes, examples include lesson plans, exercises and report comments. A teacher preparing 5 lessons a week saves about 1 hour on preparation, as an order of magnitude.
Can I trust AI answers?
Not without checking. A whole module teaches you to verify figures, dates and sources, since roughly one answer in ten contains an error on technical documents.
How long does it take to finish?
The 10 hours fit into 3 to 4 weeks at 3 hours a week, on a computer or phone, with 5 GB of data per month being enough.
What does the full AI track cost?
The 5 levels of the Artificial Intelligence track cost 350,000 FCFA instead of 450,000 FCFA when bought separately, up to consulting and automation.
Take the next step. Enroll in Write, analyse and organise your work with AI: 10 hours online, taught in French, 50,000 FCFA (76 EUR), verifiable 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.
