Sadio Mané launches $20.4M mango processing venture in Senegal

Senegalese footballer Sadio Mané has launched SM10 Agro, a self-funded $20.4 million (approximately 11.7 billion CFA francs) agro-industrial mango processing venture in his hometown of Bambali. The project aims to address significant agricultural waste in the Sédhiou region, where an estimated 30% to 40% of mango harvests are lost due to insufficient storage and processing infrastructure.

The initiative will cover roughly 500 hectares and includes the planting of approximately 78,000 mango trees. The facility is designed to convert surplus fruit and produce that does not meet European Union export standards into value-added products such as mango pulp, purée, dried mango, and mango butter. Additionally, the project will include a center for preparing fresh mangoes for export.

Expected to create more than 1,000 direct jobs, the project was officially launched alongside National Assembly President Ousmane Sonko. Mané has also presented his vision to President Bassirou Diomaye Faye. Construction is expected to take 18 months, with the first harvest anticipated in about three years.