Wayne Lumbasi
Senegalese football star Sadio Mané is investing 11.7 billion CFA francs, about $20 million, in a major agro-industrial project in his hometown of Bambali, in the southern Sédhiou region, as he moves deeper into agriculture and local industrial development.
The project, known as SM10 Agro, is designed to establish a large-scale mango production and processing operation, with the first stone laid in Bambali on September 19, 2026. The development will cover about 500 hectares and is expected to create more than 1,000 direct jobs during its initial phase, with employment potentially reaching about 2,500 positions as the project expands.
At the centre of the project will be a large mango plantation containing approximately 78,000 trees. The first harvest is expected about three years after planting, while the industrial facilities will be developed to handle mangoes from the plantation and other producers in the region.
The complex will go beyond the production of fresh fruit. It is planned to include facilities for sorting, treating and processing mangoes into pulp, dried mango and mango butter, allowing the fruit to be converted into higher value products before reaching consumers.
The processing station is expected to have an annual capacity of about 8,500 tonnes of mangoes, while project documents and statements from SM10 Agro representatives indicate that overall production capacity could eventually reach 10,500 tonnes annually.
The investment is also aimed at addressing a major challenge facing mango producers in the Sédhiou region: post harvest losses. Mané said that between 30% and 40% of mango production in the region can be lost because of limited storage and processing facilities. The new complex is intended to provide infrastructure that can preserve more of the harvest and turn a larger share of it into commercially valuable products.
The project will also include an agricultural training centre and a research and development facility, alongside irrigation and agricultural mechanisation systems. The training component is intended to give young people and women access to skills in agriculture and agro processing.
SM10 Agro is expected to target both the Senegalese market and export destinations across Africa, Europe and the Middle East. By processing mangoes locally, the project is intended to retain more economic value within the region instead of relying mainly on the sale of fresh agricultural produce.
For Mané, the investment represents a shift from supporting his hometown through social projects to establishing a productive economic enterprise. The footballer, who was born and raised in Bambali, has previously financed community projects in the area, including education and health infrastructure.
Senegal’s investment promotion agency, APIX, has said the project will benefit from tax and customs exemptions for certain imported equipment for five years. The agency has also described the development as part of a broader effort to encourage investment and industrial activity outside the country’s main urban centres.
The project is expected to take about 18 months to develop, with the industrial campaign scheduled to begin from March 2027, subject to completion of the necessary technical and administrative processes.
With its combination of large-scale farming, processing facilities, training and research, the SM10 Agro project places mangoes at the centre of a wider attempt to build an agricultural value chain in Bambali. For Mané’s hometown, the project could bring new industrial infrastructure and employment while giving locally produced mangoes a route into higher value markets.
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