Senegalese footballer Sadio Mané launched a CFA11.7 billion ($20.4 million) agro-industrial project in his hometown of Bambali on September 19. The initiative, named SM10 Agro, targets mango processing in the Sédhiou Region of southern Senegal.
Mané financed the entire project from his personal funds. Construction is expected to last 18 months. The complex will feature a processing plant with capacity for 8,500 tonnes of mangoes each year. It will produce mango pulp, dried fruit and mango butter.
The project also includes a 500-hectare plantation of Kent mangoes. Plans call for planting about 78,000 trees, with the first harvest due in three years. Officials said the facility would create more than 1,000 direct jobs at the start.
Bambali lies in Casamance, Senegal’s top mango-producing area. Limited processing facilities there have led to heavy post-harvest losses. Studies showed that existing plants concentrated in Ziguinchor, leaving Sédhiou and Kolda under-equipped.
Speaking at the launch, Mané said he wanted his legacy to reach beyond football. “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… We want to help create jobs and develop agriculture,” he stated.
The plant aims to process more fruit locally, including mangoes that fail to meet European Union export standards. Senegal previously lost 30 to 45 per cent of its harvested fruit each year due to weak storage and processing options.
Mané has already supported Bambali with a school, hospital, mosque and petrol station. This latest venture marks his shift toward a commercial agricultural investment designed to keep value in the community.
