Lafarge


According to press reports, Lafarge is supposed to be looking for a buyer for its South African operations and an amount of up to US$800m has been suggested. If this were indeed the case, it would suggest that the Lafarge management is more guided by short-term considerations than the long-term growth of the business. Lafarge is the third-largest cement producer in South Africa and its cement works have a combined grinding capacity of some 3.5Mta.

Lafarge's Kenyan subsidiary Bamburi Cement has lost its four year-old exclusive contract to supply East African Portland Cement, a company in which Bamburi holds a 41.7% interest.