The verdict in three sentences
The build quote is only a fraction of the real cost: over 3 years, hosting, support, evolutions and redesign push the total cost of ownership (TCO) to about 2.3x the initial quote. A site quoted at 3,000,000 FCFA actually costs nearly 7,000,000 FCFA over 3 years. A CFO who budgets only the build sets up annual surprises; one who reasons in TCO negotiates better and avoids hidden costs.
What the initial quote hides
A website quote shows the price of design and development. It hides everything else: keeping a site online, secure, up to date and fast is a recurring cost, not a one-time purchase. Here is the full TCO structure, expressed in FCFA for a francophone-Africa benchmark, applicable in Dubai in USD.
| Item | Frequency | 2026 range (FCFA) |
|---|---|---|
| Initial build | once | 1,800,000 - 4,500,000 |
| Hosting | monthly | 25,000 - 70,000 |
| Support (maintenance) | monthly | 90,000 - 250,000 |
| Domain + SSL | annual | 15,000 |
| Evolutions / new pages | annual | 300,000 - 800,000 |
| Partial redesign | at 3-4 years | 1,500,000 - 3,000,000 |
Recurring items (hosting + support) alone represent 115,000 to 320,000 FCFA per month. Over 36 months, they far exceed the build quote in most cases.
The 3-year TCO in numbers
Take a professional B2B brochure site at 3,000,000 FCFA build, with average support. Here is the real cumulative cost.
| Item over 3 years | Calculation | Total (FCFA) |
|---|---|---|
| Build | once | 3,000,000 |
| Hosting | 45,000 x 36 | 1,620,000 |
| Support | 150,000 x 36 | 5,400,000 |
| Domain + SSL | 15,000 x 3 | 45,000 |
| Evolutions | 500,000 x 2 | 1,000,000 |
| 3-year TCO | sum | 11,065,000 |
| TCO / initial quote ratio | about 3.7x |
Depending on the chosen support level, the ratio runs from 2.3x (light support) to nearly 3.7x (active support with evolutions). The message for a CFO: budget the recurring costs from the start, or you will discover these lines mid-year.
International: the same reasoning in USD
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In Dubai, the same B2B site is reasoned in dollars: build 6,000-18,000 USD, hosting 40-150 USD/month, support 200-700 USD/month. Over 3 years, the TCO sits between 20,000 and 55,000 USD depending on service level. The TCO/quote ratio stays comparable, around 2.2 to 3.5x, whatever the market: a website's cost structure is universal.
Mini case study
Amadou, CFO of a distribution company (Dakar benchmark, applicable in Dubai), had budgeted 3,000,000 FCFA for his site, thinking the matter closed. Twelve months later he had already spent 3,000,000 (build) + 540,000 (hosting) + 1,800,000 (support) + 15,000 (domain) = 5,355,000 FCFA. Surprised, he requested a 3-year TCO plan: 11,000,000 FCFA. By negotiating a flat annual support fee (instead of hourly) and optimised shared hosting, he brought the 3-year TCO down to 8,200,000 FCFA, or 2,800,000 FCFA saved with no loss of service, simply by reasoning in total cost from the start.
FAQ
Why does support cost so much? It covers security updates, backups, fixes, small evolutions and availability. It is what prevents a hack or outage whose remediation costs far more than a monthly fee.
Can I cut TCO without sacrificing quality? Yes: flat-fee support rather than hourly, hosting matched to real traffic, and a modern technical foundation that reduces fixes. These three levers lower TCO by 20-30%.
Do I really need a redesign every 3-4 years? Rarely a full redesign, more a modernisation. A well-designed custom foundation avoids a heavy redesign and spreads evolutions, extending lifespan to 5-6 years.
What TCO/quote ratio should I target? A controlled ratio sits around 2.3-2.8x over 3 years. Beyond that, it usually signals poorly scoped hourly support or technical debt multiplying fixes.
Are domain and SSL negligible? In cost, yes (about 15,000 FCFA/year). In criticality, no: an expired domain or lapsed SSL takes down the site and email. Automate their renewal.
Let's scope your project. Give us your need (site type, service level, expected traffic) and we will provide a transparent 3-year TCO plan, item by item, so you can budget without surprises. 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.
