East Africa’s installed cement capacity is currently estimated at 15.6 million tonnes, with 8.6 million tonnes of that figure produced in Kenya and Tanzania.
Investors remain bullish over East African cement markets, attracted by ongoing strong real GDP growth, forecast to average 4.5% in 2015, rising purchasing power and development of numerous infrastructure and housing projects, says a 2016 Ecobank industry report.
And if cement production will increase in the coming years, it would be spearheaded by manufacturers in the region. Let us now look at some of the best cement manufacturers in East Africa:
Kenya:
Bamburi Cement
Bamburi Cement is a member of LafargeHolcim. LafargeHolcim it the top cement manufacturers in East Africa and one of the top in the world.It was born out of the merger of equals by Lafarge and Holcim in 2015. With over 180 years of combined experience, the Group aims to usher in a new era of leading-edge technologies and innovations in the building materials industry to address the challenges of the 21st century.
Mombasa Cement
Mombasa Cement Limited (MCL) is one of the top cement manufacturer in East Africa with an annual capacity of 1.6 million metric tonnes. MCL is the most technologically advanced and environmentally friendly cement producers in East Africa. The products of MCL pass through round the clock stringent quality controls standards of both Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) and International specification. It is a subsidiary of Uganda’s Tororo Cement Limited.
ARM Africa Cement
(formerly Athi River Mining) is the third largest cement producing company in Kenya with a 15.5% market share. Its flagship brand is Rhino cement. It was formed in 1974 as a family business. It was listed at the NSE in 1997. The majority shareholder is the founder’s family, Paunrana directly (46%) and also indirectly through a holding company. ARM also produces fertilizer, lime and industrial minerals. The company is also among the top cement manufacturers in East Africa
it is Located in Athi-River which is 30km from Nairobi City in Kenya. Its main shareholders are a Chinese investor, Wan Ho (40%) and Savannah Heights (40%). It is associated with the Savannah brand. It was commissioned in July 2012. The cement manufacturere in Kenya has an increasing market share in Machakos and Nairobi. it has a capacity of 1.5 million tons a year.
National Cement
National Cement is the producer of the Simba cement. It was formed in 2008 by the Devki Group of Companies in Athi River. It controls 7% of the market.
Tanzania:
Tanzania Portland Cement Company
Tanzania Portland Cement Company Limited was Established in 1966 with the principal activity of manufacturing and selling cement. TPCC was nationalized in 1978 and later privatized in 1998. HeidelbergCement via Scancem International DA is TPCCs’ major shareholder currently holding 69.25% of shares, the remaining 30.75% shares are owned by the general public of the United Republic of Tanzania. The shares of TPCC are actively traded on the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange (DSE).
READ:Prime Cement seeks to challenge Cimerwa’s monopoly in Rwanda
Tanga Cement PLC
Tanga Cement PLC is a Tanzanian cement manufacturer.The cement manufacturer trades under the name Tanga Cement. It was commissioned in 1980. Its cement production is 3000tonnes/day.
Dangote Cement Tanzania
The company is owned by Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote. Its 3.0Mta plant in Mtwara – about 400km from Dar es Salaam – was commissioned in December 2015 and is the largest cement factory in Tanzania. With about 500 million tonnes of limestone reserves, enough for 149 years, the plant is capable of producing large amounts of high-quality 32.5 and 42.5 grade cements to meet local market needs at competitive prices, as well as surrounding export markets by sea.
Nyati Cement
Its integrated cement manufacturing unit, spread in an area of over 100 hectares, is the most modern, fully automated and energy-efficient plant of its kind in East Africa. The Plant, with a capacity of 500,000 Tons per annum, is located at Kimbiji village in Kigamboni District; just 45 km south of Dar es Salaam’s central business district.
Ethiopia
Derba MIDROC Cement
Derba MIDROC Cement (DMC) was established on the 13th of February 2006 with a fully paid up capital of birr 500 million (equivalent to USD$ 55 million). The total investment cost is in the order of USD$ 351miilion. The clinker production capacity is 5,600 tons per day (8,000 tons of cement per day). The company was inaugurated on February 05, 2012 in the presence of the late Prime Minster of Ethiopia Ato Melese Zenawi and the Chairman and Founder Sheik Mohammed Hussein Ali Al –Amoudi.
National Cement Share Company
National Cement Share Company (NCSC) was established in November 2005 through a joint venture of East Africa Mining Corporation, the Federal Government of Ethiopia’s Privatization and Public Enterprises Supervising Agency and others. Over the next few years, government shares were bought out by East African Mining Corporation.
The company is located 515 kilometers from Addis Ababa, in Dire Dawa Administrative Region. The factory was the first cement plant in Ethiopia, which was established in 1936 by Italians. It was previously called “Dire Dawa Cement Factory”.
After renovating the old factory, the company has boosted the production from 150 Tons per Day to 400 TPD and is currently producing 3000 TPD clinker with the new plant.
Mugher Cement
Mugher Cement factory is a state owned enterprise established with a purpose of producing and supplying cement and carrying out related activities that are important for the attainment of its objective. Initially it was Established with an authorized capital of Birr 334,716,000.00 /three hundred thirty four million seven hundred sixteen thousand birr / of which birr 257,516,000.00/ two hundred fifty seven million five hundred sixteen thousand birr/ is paid up in cash & in kind, is formed in 1999 through amalgamation of two formerly independent factories: i.e., Mugher Cement Factory and Addis Ababa Cement Factory.
The Factory is located about 90kms North West of the capital city, Addis Ababa, on the elevation of about 2450mts above sea level. The mother plant of the factory has three production lines with production capacity of 5000 tons of clinker per day. The first, second and third lines started operation in 1984, 1990 and 2011 respectively.
Messebo Cement
Messebo Cement Factory Private Limited Company (MCF PLC) is one of EFFORT (Endowment Fund for the Rehabilitation of Tigray) group companies established in accordance with the commercial code of Ethiopia.
Currently the factory is producing protean cement types which serve for light and heavy construction up to C-45 concrete grades. The factory’s production capacity is 7,000 tons per day and 2,100,000 tons of cement annually, which is achieved in 300 running days per year.
Dangote cement Ethiopia
The 2.5Mta plant, less than 90km from Addis Ababa, was commissioned in May 2015. With rich limestone reserves of about 223 million tonnes, it is the largest cement plant in Ethiopia capable of producing high-quality 32.5 and 42.5-grade cements to meet market needs, and at competitive costs.
We plan to double the size of the plant at Mugher in the coming years.
Uganda:
Tororo Cement
Tororo Cement Factory is located in the Eastern part of Uganda about 230Km from the Capital Kampala. It is 10Km before the Uganda/Kenya border town of Malaba. Access from Kampala is by an all-weather tarmac road.
The factory is well served with infrastructure such as Road & Rail power. The railway siding from Tororo main station services the factory’s main areas of production of Cement, Iron sheets, Wire products, and Raw materials.It remains one of the best cement manufacturers in East Africa
Hima Cement
Hima Cement Ltd. is a subsidiary of Bamburi Cement Ltd. which is a member of the LafargeHolcim group. LafargeHolcim is the leading producer of building materials in the world
Kampala Cement
Kampala Cement Co Ltd is a new Cement Manufacturer in Uganda. Kampala Cement came into operation in the beginning of 2015 at Namataba in Mukono district.
The plant has installed capacity of one million tons of cement under brand names of Nyati 32.5, Kifaru 42.5 and Ndovu 42.5 and Supercrete 52.5.
With the latest generation grinding plants from Europe and stand-by power supply, the plant can run continuously throughout the year with little maintenance downtime. On the other hand, the experience in inland transportation add arms to the company’s capacity to transport and store raw materials for continuous production.