SEMAF SA (Société d'Exploitation de Manantali et Félou)

What SEMAF SA (Société d'Exploitation de Manantali et Félou) does

SEMAF SA (Société d'Exploitation de Manantali et Félou) is the exclusive contracted operator of the OMVS (Organisation pour la Mise en Valeur du fleuve Sénégal) shared hydroelectric infrastructure across Mali, Mauritania, and Senegal. The company operates and maintains three hydroelectric dams — Manantali, Félou, and Gouina — with a combined installed capacity of 400 MW, producing approximately 1,800 GWh of clean energy annually. It also manages the RIMA (Réseau Interconnecté de Manantali), a high-voltage transmission network spanning 2,312+ km and 180 substations across the three countries, with the Manantali II project expanding the network toward 3,000+ km.

The technical architecture is built on industrial control and enterprise systems: a SCADA ADVANT platform (recently migrated for 15-year longevity), a backup dispatching center for real-time voltage/frequency control, MPLS-TP fiber and digital radio communications, a GMAO (Computer-Aided Maintenance Management) system, and an ERP SAGE implementation (in partnership with ZENITH) covering finance, procurement, and operations. SEMAF employs 4,000+ nationals from the four OMVS member states and runs specialized training programs such as high-voltage line mounter certification through CEGELEC – VINCI Energies.

SEMAF operates as a subsidiary of SOGEM under a 10-year exploitation and maintenance contract signed in February 2022. Revenue is contract-driven via intergovernmental agreements with SOGEM, not commercial tariffs. Its three customers are the national electricity utilities EDM (Mali), SOMELEC (Mauritania), and SENELEC (Senegal), which purchase hydroelectric energy through the RIMA network for distribution within their respective countries. Headquartered in Manantali, Mali, with regional offices in Bamako, Nouakchott, Dakar, and Kayes, SEMAF also delivers corporate social responsibility (RSE) programs including water access, medical services, and local employment in communities around the Manantali dam.

Name

SEMAF SA (Société d'Exploitation de Manantali et Félou)

Legal name

Société d'Exploitation de Manantali et de Félou

Website

https://semaf-sogem.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

SEMAF SA is the exclusive contracted operator of OMVS shared hydroelectric infrastructure across Mali, Mauritania, and Senegal, managing 400 MW of capacity, 2,312+ km of high-voltage transmission lines, and ~1,800 GWh/year of clean energy delivered to the national utilities EDM, SOMELEC, and SENELEC under a 10-year SOGEM contract.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hydroelectric Power Transmission & Distribution

NAICS

Hydroelectric Power Generation (221111), Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211), Electric Bulk Power Transmission and Control (221121)

SIC

Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623), Motors & Generators (3621)

akta.pro primary industry

Reservoir/Impoundment Hydroelectric Generation (EUACAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hydropower Operations, Maintenance & Refurbishment (R&M/Life Extension) (EUACAEAG), Hydropower Balance-of-Plant & Electrical Systems (Transformers, Switchgear, Protection) (EUAMADAD), Hydropower Asset Management & Performance Optimization (EUACAEAK), Substations, Transformers & Grid Step-Up Facilities (EHV Substations, GSU Transformers) (EUAMAFAE)

Keywords

• Hydroelectric power generation
• High-voltage transmission operations
• Regional power utility services
• Interconnected grid management
• River basin energy infrastructure

Headquarters

HQ city

Manantali

HQ country

Mali

HQ region

Africa

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Contracted Utility Operations: SEMAF operates under a long-term (10-year) exploitation and maintenance contract with SOGEM signed in February 2022. The company operates and maintains hydroelectric infrastructure (Manantali, Félou, and Gouina dams) and the RIMA high-voltage transmission network across Mali, Mauritania, and Senegal. Revenue is derived from contractual service fees paid by SOGEM for infrastructure management, maintenance, and electricity delivery coordination.
2. Electricity Generation and Delivery: The company coordinates the production, transport, and delivery of hydroelectric energy to the three OMVS member countries through their national electricity companies (EDM, SOMELEC, SENELEC). The company produces approximately 1,800 GWh of clean energy annually, contributing to national grids.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SEMAF SA operates and maintains the OMVS hydroelectric infrastructure under a 10-year contract with SOGEM (signed February 2022). It runs three hydroelectric dams (Manantali, Félou, Gouina) totaling 400 MW of installed capacity and produces roughly 1,800 GWh of clean energy annually, delivering it via the RIMA high-voltage transmission network (2,312+ km of HV lines and 180 substations) to the national utilities EDM (Mali), SOMELEC (Mauritania), and SENELEC (Senegal). The company also supports Senegal River regulation, grid dispatching, and continuous modernization (SCADA, MPLS-TP, GMAO, SAGE ERP).

Product overview

SEMAF SA operates as an electricity transmission and distribution utility managing three hydroelectric dams (Manantali, Félou, and Gouina) with a combined installed capacity of 400 MW. The company's core product is the operation and maintenance of the Interconnected Network of Manantali (RIMA), spanning over 2,300 km of high-voltage lines across Mali, Mauritania, and Senegal. Supporting modules include ERP SAGE for enterprise resource management, GMAO for maintenance operations, SCADA ADVANT for plant control and data acquisition, backup dispatching systems, MPLS-TP network infrastructure, and specialized maintenance services for circuit breakers and electrical equipment. The integrated system delivers approximately 1,800 GWh of clean hydroelectric energy annually to EDM (Mali), SOMELEC (Mauritania), and SENELEC (Senegal).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hydroelectric Power Generation (Manantali, Félou, Gouina)
• Operation and Maintenance of the RIMA High-Voltage Interconnected Network

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,800 GWh of clean energy produced annually, contributing to national grids of Mali, Mauritania, and Senegal.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SOGEM (Société de Gestion de l'Énergie de Manantali)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2022SOGEM is the parent company that owns the hydroelectric infrastructure (Manantali, Félou, Gouina) and has entrusted SEMAF with its exploitation and maintenance under a 10-year contract signed in February 2022. SEMAF operates as a subsidiary of SOGEM within the OMVS framework.
• OMVS (Organisation pour la Mise en Valeur du fleuve Sénégal)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOMVS is the intergovernmental organization that owns the hydroelectric infrastructure and regulates the Senegal River. SEMAF operates under OMVS mandate across Mali, Mauritania, and Senegal. The organization comprises four member countries: Mali, Mauritania, Senegal, and Guinea.
• EDM (Énergie du Mali)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEDM is Mali's national electricity utility and a primary customer of SEMAF, purchasing hydroelectric energy from the RIMA network for distribution within Mali.
• SOMELEC (Société Mauritanienne d'Électricité)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSOMELEC is Mauritania's national electricity utility and a primary customer of SEMAF, purchasing hydroelectric energy from the RIMA network for distribution within Mauritania.
• SENELEC (Société Nationale d'Électricité du Sénégal)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSENELEC is Senegal's national electricity utility and a primary customer of SEMAF, purchasing hydroelectric energy from the RIMA network for distribution within Senegal.
• CEGELEC – VINCI ENERGIES (Morocco)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCEGELEC – VINCI ENERGIES MAROC was selected through an international tender to provide specialized training for 12 SEMAF inspectors as High Voltage Line Mounters (Monteurs de Lignes HTB). The training took place in Casablanca, Morocco from 21 May 2024 to 14 June 2024.
• ZENITHminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerZENITH was selected to implement the SAGE ERP system at SEMAF as part of the information system transformation project launched in late 2021.
• ESB (Entreprise)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerESB is the contractor carrying out the extension of the electricity transmission substation at Kaédi, Mauritania, for the benefit of SOMELEC, with technical oversight from SEMAF.
• FOPESRIMA (Fonds de Promotion Économique et Sociale du Réseau Interconnecté de Manantali)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFOPESRIMA is the economic and social promotion fund for the Manantali Interconnected Network. SEMAF hosted the FOPESRIMA Board and General Assembly sessions in Manantali in July 2026. The fund had not met since 2023 (Board) and 2016 (General Assembly).

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd: Eskom is the vertically integrated South African utility that previously operated the Manantali assets through its subsidiary EEM (2001–2014). It is a broad incumbent peer: large-scale generation, transmission and distribution across multiple regions, with significant hydro and thermal exposure.
• Enel Green Power: Enel Green Power is a global renewable operator with substantial hydroelectric and grid-management capabilities. It is a broad incumbent peer — large-scale, multi-country renewable generation and grid operations — though more commercially diversified and asset-owning than SEMAF.
• RusHydro: RusHydro is one of the world's largest hydroelectric operators, managing dozens of plants and extensive transmission networks in Russia. It is a broad incumbent peer in scale and asset base (large hydro fleet, grid O&M, multi-region operations), although operating in a fundamentally different regulatory environment.
• Nalcor Energy / Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro: NL Hydro is a vertically integrated, state-owned hydroelectric operator with multiple dams and a large transmission grid. It is a broad incumbent peer: integrated hydro generation and transmission under a single regulated entity, similar in operating model even if smaller and in a different jurisdiction.

Direct peers

• Société Nationale d'Électricité (SNEL): SNEL is the Democratic Republic of Congo's state-owned national electricity utility, managing large hydroelectric assets (Inga complex) and transmission infrastructure. It is a direct peer as a state-owned African hydroelectric operator with a transmission mandate.
• Volta River Authority (VRA): VRA is Ghana's state-owned hydroelectric and thermal power operator, with the Akosombo and Kpong dams and a national transmission role. It is comparable to SEMAF as a state-owned multi-asset power generator and transmission operator in West Africa.
• SOGEM (Société de Gestion de l'Énergie de Manantali): SOGEM is SEMAF's parent and the asset owner of the Manantali, Félou and Gouina dams and the RIMA network. It is the closest operational peer because it contracts and oversees the same infrastructure, sits within the same OMVS framework, and is the direct counterparty to SEMAF's 10-year agreement.
• Electricity Development Corporation (EDC) Cameroon: EDC builds and operates hydroelectric generation in Cameroon (e.g., Lom Pangar, Memve'ele, Nachtigal). It is a direct peer as a state-owned developer/operator of hydroelectric capacity in Central/West Africa, with multi-country interconnection ambitions.
• OMVG (Organisation pour la Mise en Valeur du fleuve Gambie): OMVG operates the parallel Gambia River basin energy infrastructure with which SEMAF/RIMA is interconnected. It is a direct regional peer managing hydroelectric assets and high-voltage interconnection across West African member states.

Others

• WAPP (West African Power Pool): WAPP is the regional electricity coordination body that integrates SEMAF's RIMA network with the broader ECOWAS grid. It is an ecosystem peer: not a commercial operator, but the institutional framework through which SEMAF's transmission assets are increasingly monetized.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/semaf-sa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about SEMAF SA (Société d'Exploitation de Manantali et Félou)