Senegalese football star Sadio Mané has invested CFA11.7bn ($20.4m) in an agro-industrial project in his hometown of Bambali, aimed at processing mangoes locally and creating employment opportunities.
The project, known as SM10 Agro, was unveiled on September 19 in Bambali, in Senegal’s southern Sédhiou Region, according to Ecofin Agency.
The facility will feature a mango processing plant capable of handling about 8,500 tonnes of fruit annually. Its products will include mango pulp, dried mangoes and mango butter.
The investment also includes a 500-hectare plantation dedicated to Kent mangoes.
Bambali is located in Casamance, one of Senegal’s major mango-producing areas. However, inadequate processing infrastructure has contributed to substantial post-harvest losses in the region.
Senegal is estimated to lose between 30 and 45 per cent of its harvested fruit each year, with challenges ranging from farming and harvesting practices to transportation and limited processing capacity.
Speaking at the launch, Mané said the project was part of his desire to contribute to the development of his community beyond his football career.
“I don’t want to be remembered only for the goals I scored. Before the stadiums, the lights and the victories, there was, of course, Bambali. This is where my dreams began,” he said.
“We want to help create jobs and develop agriculture.”
The processing plant is expected to provide an outlet for mangoes that cannot be exported to European markets because they fail to meet phytosanitary requirements, allowing more of the locally produced fruit to be processed within Senegal.
A 2023 study by the Initiative Prospective Agricole et Rurale, cited by Ecofin, found that mango-processing facilities in Casamance were largely concentrated in the Ziguinchor region, leaving Sédhiou and Kolda with limited processing infrastructure despite their production capacity.
The study also identified inadequate access to packaging and labelling services as a major constraint for processors, with some businesses forced to rely on facilities in Dakar.
Mané’s investment comes as Senegal’s mango export sector continues to recover from phytosanitary challenges, particularly fruit-fly infestations that previously affected access to European markets.
The country exported about 27,000 tonnes of mangoes in 2021, but volumes subsequently fell amid difficulties meeting export requirements.
Exports to Europe have since increased, reaching more than 19,000 tonnes in 2026, compared with about 14,000 tonnes the previous season, following improved phytosanitary controls and measures to contain fruit-fly outbreaks.
