Senegalese football star Sadio Mané has launched a CFA11.7 billion ($20.4 million) agro-industrial project in his hometown of Bambali, southern Senegal, to expand mango processing and create jobs.
The project, known as SM10 Agro, was launched on September 19 in Bambali, Sédhiou Region.
The complex will feature a mango processing plant with an annual capacity of 8,500 tonnes. It will produce mango pulp, dried fruit and mango butter, alongside a 500-hectare plantation of Kent mangoes.
The project is located in Casamance, Senegal’s leading mango-producing region, where limited processing facilities have contributed to substantial post-harvest losses.
Senegal loses an estimated 30 to 45 per cent of harvested fruit annually, with poor farming practices, harvesting and transportation challenges, as well as limited processing outlets contributing to the losses.
Speaking at the launch, Mané said he wanted his legacy to extend beyond football, adding that his roots in Bambali inspired the investment.
“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.
The former African Footballer of the Year said the project was intended to help create jobs and support agricultural development in the community.
The facility is also expected to increase local processing of mangoes, including fruit that may not qualify for export to European Union markets because of phytosanitary requirements.
A 2023 study by the Initiative Prospective Agricole et Rurale found that mango processing facilities in Casamance were concentrated mainly in the Ziguinchor region, while Sédhiou and Kolda remained poorly equipped despite their production of local mango varieties.
The study also identified limited access to packaging and labelling services as a challenge for processors in Casamance, with some businesses having to rely on Dakar for the services.
Mané’s investment comes as Senegal’s mango export industry recovers from difficulties linked to fruit-fly infestations and other phytosanitary challenges.
Senegal exported about 27,000 tonnes of mangoes in 2021, but volumes later declined following problems that affected access to the European market.
Exports to Europe reportedly rose to more than 19,000 tonnes in 2026, up from about 14,000 tonnes the previous season, following improved phytosanitary measures, particularly efforts to control fruit flies.
