Senegalese and former Liverpool football star Sadio Mané has invested $20.4 million in SM10 Agro, a mango agro-processing initiative in his hometown of Bambali.
The project will include a processing plant with an annual capacity of 8,500 tonnes of mangoes, producing mango pulp, dried fruit and mango butter.
The factory is located in Casamance, Senegal’s leading mango-producing region, where limited processing facilities have contributed to significant post-harvest losses.
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A Boost for Local Processing Capacity
The Senegalese football star currently plays for Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr FC after a storied career with Southampton, Liverpool, and Bayern Munich. Sadio Mané launched the construction of the complex on Saturday, September 19, in Bambali, his hometown in Senegal’s Sédhiou region. Named SM10 Agro, the project includes a plant designed to process 8,500 tons of mangoes annually into pulp, dried fruit, and mango butter, along with a 500-hectare plantation of Kent mangoes.
“I don’t want to be remembered only for the goals I scored,” Mané said to Ecofin Agency. “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.”
The project is especially important for Casamance. The area is Senegal’s top mango-producing region, but local processing capacity remains limited and unevenly distributed. Situating the plant in Sédhiou could increase local processing of mangoes, including fruit that fails to reach European Union markets, mainly the Netherlands, France and Spain, due to phytosanitary requirements.
The facility could also reduce post-harvest losses and keep more value in the hands of local producers. A May 2023 study by the Initiative Prospective Agricole et Rurale think tank showed that existing mango processing facilities in Casamance are largely concentrated in the Ziguinchor region. Sédhiou and Kolda, despite producing local mango varieties, remain poorly equipped.
“The few processing units that exist in these areas mainly face difficulties accessing packaging and labeling services, which are unavailable in Casamance,” the report said. “This creates dependence on Dakar for these supplies, as well as additional production costs that negatively affect the competitiveness of processed products.”
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Sadio Mané’s Factory Will Resuscitate Senegalese Export Industry
At the national level, official estimates show Senegal loses 30% to 45% of harvested fruit every year. Poor farming practices, inadequate orchard maintenance, harvesting and transport challenges, and limited processing outlets contribute to these losses. These losses remain a major challenge for a sector that is one of the pillars of Senegalese horticulture, along with products such as watermelon, and supports close to 20,000 jobs.
Mané’s investment comes as Senegal’s mango sector shows signs of recovery after several tough seasons. Fruit fly infestations, which face particularly strict checks at the EU border, have affected producers and exporters in recent years. The issue led to rejected consignments, limits on access to the European market, and a sharp drop in export volumes.
Senegal exported around 27,000 tons of mangoes in 2021, but later phytosanitary challenges and a shorter commercial window for shipments to Europe weighed on the industry. The 2026 season has marked an improvement.
The West African country’s mango exports to Europe reportedly rose to above 19,000 tons, up from about 14,000 tons the previous season. Improved phytosanitary management of orchards, especially stronger control measures against fruit flies, helped drive the increase.
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For Mané, the investment forms part of a wider portfolio beyond football. He holds a majority stake in French club Bourges FC and has invested in property and hospitality projects in France, while also building a real estate portfolio in Senegal, including a shopping mall in Dakar’s upscale Almadies district.
Main Image: Sadio Mané. Image Credit: UrbanGeekz
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