Sadio Mané Invests $20.4m in Mango Processing Plant in Hometown

Senegalese football star Sadio Mané has launched a CFA11.7 billion ($20.4 million) agro-industrial project in his hometown of Bambali, southern Senegal, aimed at expanding mango processing and creating jobs.

The project, known as SM10 Agro, was launched on September 19 in Bambali, in Senegal’s 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.

The project will also include a 500-hectare plantation dedicated to Kent mangoes.

Located in Casamance, Senegal’s leading mango-producing region, the facility is expected to help reduce post-harvest losses caused by limited processing capacity and difficulties in transporting and marketing the fruit.

According to Ecofin Agency, Senegal loses an estimated 30 to 45 per cent of harvested fruit each year due to poor farming practices, harvesting and transportation challenges, as well as limited processing facilities.

Speaking at the launch, Mané said he wanted his legacy to extend 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.”»

He added that the project was intended to create jobs and support agricultural development in the region.

The facility is also expected to process mangoes that may not meet European Union export requirements because of phytosanitary standards, thereby giving more locally produced fruit an opportunity to be processed and marketed.

Mané’s investment comes as Senegal’s mango export sector recovers from challenges linked to fruit-fly infestations and other phytosanitary problems.

Senegal exported about 27,000 tonnes of mangoes in 2021, but exports later declined due to problems affecting access to the European market. Exports to Europe reportedly increased to more than 19,000 tonnes in 2026, compared with about 14,000 tonnes the previous season, following improved phytosanitary measures, particularly efforts to control fruit flies.

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