Senegalese football icon Sadio Mane has launched a $20.4 million agro-industrial complex in his hometown of Bambali, in southern Senegal, in a major move to create jobs and transform agriculture for his people.
The Al-Nassr forward laid the foundation stone on Saturday, September 19, for the project named SM10 Agro, which he confirmed is being funded entirely from his personal funds.
The project, valued at 11.7 billion CFA francs (about $20.4m), will be built on 500 hectares in the Sedhiou region of Casamance – Senegal’s leading mango-producing area.
More Than Just Football
Speaking at the ceremony, Mane said the project is about legacy beyond football.
“I don’t want to be remembered only for the goals I scored,” Mane said. “Before the stadiums, the lights and the victories, there was, of course, Bambali. This is where my dreams began. I want the fruits of the land to stay here. We want to help create jobs and develop agriculture.”
According to project documents, SM10 Agro will include:
• A 500-hectare plantation of Kent mangoes
• Four processing units with capacity to handle 8,500 tonnes of mangoes per year
• Facilities to produce mango pulp, dried mango, mango butter and guava products
• A training centre and agricultural research unit
The complex is expected to create over 1,000 direct jobs at start-up and provide a market for thousands of smallholder farmers in the region.
Tackling A $20M Waste Problem
The investment addresses a critical problem in Casamance. Despite being a mango hub, the Sédhiou and Kolda regions have almost no processing infrastructure, with most facilities concentrated in Ziguinchor. As a result, Senegal loses an estimated 30% to 45% of its harvested fruit each year due to poor storage, transport and lack of processing.
It will also give farmers an outlet for mangoes that cannot be exported to Europe due to strict phytosanitary requirements.
The project comes as Senegal’s mango exports begin to recover after years of decline caused by fruit fly infestations. The 2026 season has seen exports to Europe rise to over 19,000 tonnes, up from 14,000 tonnes the previous season.
A History of Giving Back
This is not Mane’s first investment in Bambali. Over the past decade, the former Liverpool and Bayern Munich star has built a school, a hospital, a mosque, and a petrol station for his village. In November 2024, he opened a bakery to provide affordable bread and employment for locals.
What separates SM10 Agro, Mane noted, is that it is designed to be profitable and self-sustaining – moving from charity to creating production, work and value within the community.
Mane, 34, who retired from the Africa Cup of Nations after the 2025 tournament as Senegal’s all-time top scorer with 52 goals, currently plays for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia. He finished second in the 2022 Ballon d’Or and won the Socrates Prize the same year for his humanitarian work.
Construction of the SM10 Agro complex is expected to take 18 months, with operations set to begin in early 2028..