AFRICAN NEWS
African cement news round-up
The local market in Morocco has suffered a 5% drop.
60% to USD24.6-million from
USD15.4-million. Its cement
sales volumes increased by 9%.
The subsidiary of Germany’s
HeidelbergCement says that
the local cement market saw
continued growth in 2018
and that, despite production
overcapacity, it maintained its
‘market leadership.’
Morocco: Ciments du Maroc’s
turnover fell slightly to
EUR371-million in 2018. Its
net profit grew by 3.4% year-
on-year to EUR96-million in
2018 from EUR92.8-million in
2017. Its cement sales volumes
fell by 2.7% in 2018 compared
to a drop in local cement
consumption of 3.7%. The
cement producer says that it
continues its development plan
at Nador in the south of the
country.
Ivory Coast: Prestige Cement
has inaugurated a 1.2Mt/
year plant at Abidjan. The
Chinese-Ivorian joint venture
had an investment of around
USD35-million, according to
the Agence de Presse Africaine.
The unit has two 0.6Mt/year
production lines using vertical
roller mills.
Morocco: LafargeHolcim
Morocco’s turnover fell by
2% year-on-year to EUR725-
million in 2018 from
EUR743-million in 2017.
Its consolidated net profit
dropped by 18% to EUR156-
million from EUR177-million.
LafargeHolcim’s subsidiary says
that its sales had fallen less than
5% which the local cement
market suffered and blamed
a drop in operating income
on lower revenue and rising
petcoke costs. The cement
producer is confident about the
fundamentals of the building
materials sector and plans to
commission a new cement
plant in Souss region in 2020.
8_QUARRY SA | MAY/JUNE 2019
Kenya: The Competition
Authority of Kenya (CAK) has
approved the acquisition of
Cemtech by Simba Cement.
CAK says that, as Cemtech had
been dormant for a decade,
its purchase would revive
the company, create jobs,
and improve the economy in
West Pokot County. Simba
Cement is a subsidiary of
Devki Group and it trades
under the National Cement
brand. Cemtech is a subsidiary
of India’s Sanghi Group,
which has attempted to build
a cement plant in West Pokot
since 2010. The acquisition
includes Cemtech’s land,
business intellectual property,
business records, equipment,
goodwill, licences, stock, and
third-party rights.
Kenya: Data from the Kenya
National Bureau of Statistics
used by CAK showed that
the leading companies in the
country’s cement sector by
market share were: Bamburi
Cement (33%), Mombasa
Cement (16%), East African
Portland Cement (15%),
Savannah Cement (15%),
National Cement (8%),
and Athi River Mining
Africa (13%).
Tanzania: Twiga Cement’s
revenue rose by 30% year-on-
year to USD151-million in
2018 from USD116-million
in 2017. Its net profit grew by
Nigeria: BUA Group has
signed a contract with Finland’s
Wartsila Oy for construction
of a 48MW power plant for
Line 3 at its Sokoto Cement
plant in Sokoto State. The
deal follows BUA’s January
2019 announcement that
China’s CBMI will build the
new line at the site. BUA is
Nigeria’s second-largest cement
producer by volume, with
assets that include the 6Mt/
year Obu Cement I & II plants
in Okpella, Edo State, CCNN’s
1.5Mt/year Kalambaina plant,
and the 0.5Mt/year Sokoto
cement plant.
Kenya is benefiting from China’s Belt and Road initiative.
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