Sadio Mané bets $20.4 million on Senegal’s mango industry to spur economic development

Senegalese football star Sadio Mané is putting millions of dollars of his money into agriculture with the launch of SM10 AGRO, a large-scale agro-industrial project in his hometown of Bambali.

• Sadio Mané is investing $20.4 million in SM10 AGRO, a major agro-industrial project in his hometown of Bambali focused on boosting Senegal's mango industry.
• The project will launch with a 500-hectare plantation and create around 1,000 jobs and process 8,500 tonnes of mangoes annually.
• SM10 AGRO aims to transform Senegal’s mango market by turning highly perishable fresh mangoes into value-added products.
• With projections of over 100% return on investment by the second year, the initiative plans to plant 78,000 mango trees and expects its first harvest in three years.

Mané is investing 11.7 billion CFA francs ($20.4 million) in an agro-industrial complex that will sort and export fresh mangoes while producing mango pulp, dried fruit and mango butter.

The foundation stone for the agro-industrial park is expected to be laid on September 19. The project will include processing facilities, a 500-hectare mango plantation and an agricultural college, with plans to create about 1,000 jobs.

Around 78,000 mango trees will be planted, with the first harvest expected in three years. The facility is expected to process 8,500 tonnes of mangoes annually.

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Turning Senegal’s mangoes into more valuable products

The project is designed to address one of the biggest challenges facing Senegal’s mango industry — the difficulty of storing and processing a highly perishable crop.

Senegal exports tens of thousands of tonnes of fresh mangoes, mainly to Europe, but only about 2% of its mangoes are processed locally. SM10 AGRO plans to change that by turning mangoes into products that can be stored for longer and sold across more markets.

The company plans to sell its products in Senegal as well as across African, European and Middle Eastern markets.

Its promoters expect the project to become profitable in its second year and have projected returns of more than 100% on the investment.

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Mané is building beyond football

For Mané, the agricultural project is another step in building an investment portfolio beyond football.

The footballer has previously funded a hospital, school and stadium in Bambali and provided free internet access to residents. He has also regularly supported families in his hometown.

The timing of the SM10 AGRO announcement is particularly notable, coming on the same day Mané was also making headlines for his football career.

I’d keep the final football reference brief unless you have the specific football development he made headlines for that day. That detail could make a stronger closing if we know exactly what happened.