Displaying items by tag: Middle East and Africa

Tanzania: Tanzania Portland Cement Company (TPC), also known as Twiga Cement, has acquired a 95% stake in limestone extractor Mamba Cement from UAE-based Sura Holdings for US$15.9m. The acquisition secures access to major limestone deposits 125km from the TPC plant in Dar es Salaam, addressing limited reserves at its current Tegeta–Wazo Hill quarry. Twiga Cement said “The acquisition was done with the intention of vertical integration of Mamba Cement’s operations with TPC.”

TPC recorded a net profit of US$21.5m in 2024, down from US$37.6m in 2023. Sales fell by 8.5% year-on-year to US$170m, while clinker production declined by 1% and cement output rose by 0.3%. The dividend is expected to be approved and paid in June 2025. Tanzania’s cement market had 13 plants operating below 60% capacity utilisation as of December 2024.

Iraq: The Ministry of Industry and Minerals plans to establish new cement plants with a total production capacity of 52Mt/yr, according to Iraqi News. Ministry spokesperson Doha Al-Jabouri said Iraq’s existing plants currently produce 32Mt/yr. The strategy responds to growing domestic demand and ongoing construction projects and aims to meet future requirements through integrated plant development.

Prime minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani launched six new cement plants in Muthanna province in April 2025 worth US$1.171bn. Al-Sudani said the goal is to meet local demand and end cement imports.

The Gambia: The Ministry of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment (MoTIE) has confirmed that Portland cement is now readily available, and that the market has returned to a stable state after recent disruptions, according to The Voice Gambia newspaper. According to the MoTIE, the shortages resulted from re-negotiations of international supply contracts following the imposition of new US tariffs.

MoTIE confirmed that cement inventories are as follows: Jah Multi Industries holds 54,457t, Salam Cement 59,000t and Gacem 21,000t. Scheduled shipments in June 2025 include 117,600t for Jah Multi Industries on two separate dates, 30,000t for Gacem across two shipments and 38,000t for Salam Cement on 30 June 2025. MoTIE said the government is confident that cement supply will meet market demand without disruption.

UAE: Fujairah Cement has resumed production activities following a halt in January 2025 due to a technical malfunction. The company expects to resume cement despatches from 23 June 2025.

Cameroon: Cimencam, a subsidiary of LafargeHolcim-Maroc Afrique, inaugurated its subsidiary Cimencam Figuil’s (CIMFIG) new clinker and cement production line at the Figuil cement plant in Cameroon’s North Region on 12 June 2025, according to the Business in Cameroon newspaper.

The new line, part of an expansion project at the 40-year-old Figuil cement plant, has a cement capacity of 500,000t/yr and a clinker capacity of 1,000t/day. Cimencam invested US$88m in the expansion. The upgraded plant will supply cement to the North, Adamaoua and Far North regions, and aims to enter the Chadian market, which reportedly experiences frequent shortages and high prices.

Cameroon: A new cement brand, Cimaco, has entered the market, starting in June 2025, according to the Business in Cameroon newspaper. Chinese-owned company Sinafcam Sarl made the announcement, stating that it will produce the cement at its 1Mt/yr-capacity plant in Edéa, Littoral region. The launch will include three product grades: 32.5, 42.5 and 52.5. Sinafcam becomes the country’s seventh cement producer.

The Ministry of Industry expects two additional Chinese plants in Edéa: Central Africa Cement with 1.5Mt/yr of capacity and Yousheng Cement with 1.8Mt/yr. However, despite the rise in production facilities over the past decade, the retail price of a 50kg cement bag still remains high, reportedly due to the elevated cost of clinker imports.

South Africa: PPC’s revenues fell by 1.9% year-on-year in the 12 months to 31 March 2025, decreasing to US$560m. However, earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) surged by 28% to US$88m.

CEO Matias Cardarelli said that PPC has had to focus on internal corrections to grow its earnings and unlock underutilised value for the company. He explained that the company had performed ‘ahead’ of what it had expected for the period under review. “There was a narrative that the only problems that PPC was having were the problems connected to the economy, and the cement sector in South Africa had not grown for more than 10 years. Whereas that was not completely the case. That had a negative impact on the company,” said Cardarelli.

PPC is building a new 1.5Mt/yr plant in the North West Province with China’s Sinoma, as well as a new solar power plant in Zimbabwe as it invests further into the company at a time when the costs of electricity and other inputs are spiking. The company said that imports of cement into its regional markets were not a major worry as it was increasing its competitiveness against rival local and imported products. “In South Africa, we remain cautiously optimistic for the announcement by the new government of big infrastructure plans,” Cardarelli added.

Morocco: Cement sales reached 6Mt from January to May 2025, up by 9% year-on-year from 5.5Mt, according to the Ministry of National Territorial Planning, Urban Planning, Housing and Urban Policy.

The growth concerns deliveries by Professional Association of Cement Manufacturers (APC) members Asment Temara, Ciments de l'Atlas, Ciments du Maroc, LafargeHolcim Maroc and Novacim. In May 2025, APC members delivered 1.5Mt of cement, up by 7% from 1.4Mt in May 2024.

Guinea: Cement has become scarce across Guinea, halting many private construction sites and driving prices higher. According to a report by the Guinee7 newspaper, the country has six producers that operate seven cement plants, with a combined production capacity of around 3.6Mt/yr. This is up from 2.2Mt/yr four years ago – an increase of nearly 60%.

However, two plants have shut down due to a lack of clinker. Industry sources propose reviving domestic clinker production but caution that stabilisation could take several months.

Jordan: Exports to Syria reached record levels on 2 June 2025, with 1700 trucks crossing the Jaber border, more than double the usual daily average, according to Amman Chamber of Commerce president Khalil Haj Tawfiq.

Haj Tawfiq said “Cement was the primary export, marking a significant boost in construction-related trade,” adding that “This level of export activity is unprecedented.”

Cement reportedly accounted for more than 10,654 truckloads. Haj Tawfiq attributed the rise in exports to Syria to increased trade activity ahead of Eid Al Adha and renewed economic cooperation between the two countries, particularly around reconstruction efforts.