• Mercedes Trucks signs agreement with Senegal to build a truck and commercial vehicle assembly plant.
• The project will create hundreds of jobs initially, with thousands expected in the long term.
• Factory to start with military vehicles production before expanding to civilian models.

Senegal continues to advance its industrial ambitions by forging partnerships with leading international manufacturers. On July 1, the Senegalese government announced the signing of an agreement with the German group Mercedes Trucks to establish a truck and commercial vehicle assembly plant in the country. The announcement followed a meeting between Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko and a Mercedes Trucks delegation led by the group’s CEO, Franziska Cusumano.

#PrimatureSN Ce mardi 1er juillet 2025, le Premier ministre @SonkoOfficiel a reçu une délégation du Groupe Mercedes Trucks, conduite par sa patronne, Mme Franziska CUSUMANO. Une convention a été signée entre l'Etat du Sénégal et le constructeur automobile allemand pour… pic.twitter.com/fNY6mTeO9Y

— Gouvernement du Sénégal (@GouvernementSN) July 1, 2025

Prime Minister Sonko hailed the agreement as a key milestone for Senegal’s economic development, emphasizing its potential to create large-scale employment opportunities by mobilizing local labor and promoting the transfer of technology and technical skills.

Franziska Cusumano, CEO of Mercedes Trucks, described the partnership as “a historic moment” in Senegal-Germany cooperation, affirming the company’s commitment to support Senegal’s goal of becoming an industrial hub in West Africa.

According to the Senegalese government’s statement, the new factory will first focus on producing military vehicles for the Senegalese armed forces, before gradually diversifying to civilian truck and commercial vehicle models.

“An initial assembly line will be operational by the end of 2025. Several hundred jobs will be created during the initial phase, with a target of several thousand in the long term,” said Jan Weber, Commercial Director of Mercedes Benz Special Trucks, in an interview with national broadcaster RTS.

This project adds momentum to the development of the Mbacké-Touba industrial zone, where a CFA35 billion factory is already under construction with the capacity to produce up to 1,000 military vehicles annually. Together, these initiatives are part of Senegal’s broader strategy to establish a robust automotive value chain.

Walid Kéfi