The verdict in three sentences
In Mbour and Saly, hotels, residences, restaurants and shops on the Petite Côte hire freelance designers, photographers and community managers, but many of these freelancers send a price over WhatsApp without a clear offer, give in to the first discount request and wait weeks to get paid. A three-tier offer, a written quote and a 30 to 50% deposit before starting are often enough to raise income without finding a single new client (2026 order of magnitude). The course "Vendre ses services : offre, devis et négociation" (10 hours, 50,000 FCFA, level 2 of the Freelance and entrepreneurship track, taught in French) gives you the method and the templates.
Rates on the Petite Côte in 2026
The Mbour and Saly market is seasonal: the tourist high season, from November to April, concentrates hotel requests (room photos, menus, Instagram posts), and the low season forces you to retain local businesses. Price gaps for the same service are huge, and it is often the least organized freelancers who charge the least.
| Service (2026 order of magnitude, Mbour and Saly) | Low end | High end | What justifies the high end |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple logo | 25,000 FCFA | 150,000 FCFA (about 230 EUR) | Research, 3 proposals, variations |
| Full brand guidelines | 100,000 FCFA | 350,000 FCFA | Colors, typefaces, usage guide |
| Hotel photo shoot (rooms, pool) | 75,000 FCFA | 300,000 FCFA | Retouching, usage rights, drone |
| Facebook and Instagram page management | 75,000 FCFA a month | 200,000 FCFA a month | Calendar, visuals, monthly report |
| Restaurant menu (design and print) | 30,000 FCFA | 120,000 FCFA | Bilingual, photos, QR version |
| Short promotional video | 50,000 FCFA | 250,000 FCFA | Shooting, editing, subtitles |
The costliest mistakes, and what the method changes
| Common mistake | Consequence | What you learn to do |
|---|---|---|
| Price given orally or by voice note | The client disputes everything, forgets what was included | Written quote with scope, timeline and number of revisions |
| A single price | The client compares with the cheapest | Three-tier offer (essential, standard, complete) |
| Billing for time spent | The faster you are, the less you earn | Price set on value for the client |
| No deposit | Late payments, abandoned projects | 30 to 50% deposit paid with Wave or Orange Money before starting |
| Discount with nothing in return | Lower margin, client asks again | Every discount against a commitment (duration, upfront payment, testimonial) |
| No follow-up after sending | Forgotten quotes | Scheduled follow-ups and pipeline tracking |
The course Selling your services: offer, quote and negotiation, taught in French, follows five modules: building an offer that almost sells itself, setting prices on value rather than time, running discovery and writing a proposal that gets signed, negotiating without underselling, then closing, contracting and tracking your pipeline. It is for freelancers who already have a few clients. It is level 2 of the Freelance and entrepreneurship track.
What learning to sell costs, by option
| Option | Indicative 2026 cost | Duration | What you keep |
|---|---|---|---|
| Learning on the job | 0 FCFA, but discounts given away on every project | Years | Experience, often bad habits |
| Free videos and quote templates | 0 FCFA | A few hours | Templates designed for other markets |
| In-person workshop or seminar in Dakar | 50,000 to 150,000 FCFA, plus transport | 1 to 2 days | Motivation, little follow-up |
| Kolonell course, level 2 | 50,000 FCFA (about 76 EUR or 83 USD) | 10 hours, at your own pace | Three-tier offer, proposal template, negotiation scripts, certificate |
| Full Freelance and entrepreneurship track (5 levels) | 350,000 FCFA instead of 450,000 (about 535 EUR) | Several weeks | From first gig to a structured business |
Mini case study
Khadija, 27, a freelance community manager in Saly, manages pages for 3 businesses at 60,000 FCFA a month each, with no contract or deposit and an average payment delay of one month. She pays 50,000 FCFA for the course with Wave.
She builds a three-tier offer: 75,000, 110,000 and 160,000 FCFA a month, with a monthly report in the two upper tiers. Cautious assumption: 2 of her 3 clients accept the 110,000 FCFA tier, the third stays at 75,000 FCFA. Her income goes from 180,000 to 295,000 FCFA a month, 115,000 FCFA more, so the course pays for itself in under 2 weeks. With payment at the start of each month via Wave or Orange Money, she no longer works on credit. This scenario is an illustration: some clients will say no, and handling that is also part of the method.
Learn this skill with Kolonell Academy
Short, practical online courses (taught in French), graded exercises, certificate. Pay with Wave or Orange Money.
FAQ
What deposit should I ask a hotel or shop for?
A 30 to 50% deposit is common for a one-off project (logo, photo shoot, video). For a page management subscription, payment at the start of the month is the healthiest rule.
How do I answer "it is too expensive"?
The course offers answers that go back to scope rather than price: fewer visuals, a lower tier, or a discount against a 6-month commitment. The goal is never to lower the price without removing something.
Do I need a registered business to issue a quote?
A written quote is useful from the first gig, even in informal activity. Hotels and structured companies often ask for a NINEA (Senegalese tax ID) before paying, a point covered in the contracting module.
I am just starting out, is it too early?
This level targets freelancers who have already signed their first clients. If you have none yet, level 1 of the Freelance and entrepreneurship track is the right starting point.
How do I pay?
The 50,000 FCFA fee is paid with Wave or Orange Money, with immediate access. The full 5-level track costs 350,000 FCFA instead of 450,000.
Take the next step. Enroll in Selling your services: offer, quote and negotiation: 10 hours online, 50,000 FCFA (about 76 EUR), Kolonell Academy certificate, course taught in French. 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.
