Cement News tagged under: East Africa

RSS feed

National Cement plans expansion into Uganda

14 April 2015, Published under Cement News

National Cement, which currently operates a grinding plant in Kenya, plans to invest KES18.5bn (US$199m) in a new factory in Uganda, according to local news reports. The new plant marks the company's first foray into Uganda, and its first venture outside Kenya. With a capacity of 1Mta, the new cement facility is expected to be completed by the end of next year, the report by Ventures Africa states. In its home market of Kenya, National Cement operates a 0.35Mta grinding works in Athi Rive...

Lafarge Zambia to kickstart expansion project in 2H15

08 April 2015, Published under Cement News

Lafarge Zambia will begin work on a EUR200m expansion project in the second half of this year, Emmanuel Rigaux, chief executive of the Lafarge unit, said last week. The work will double Lafarge Zambia’s existing capacity, adding 1Mta. The company is proceeding with the project despite Dangote Cement due to launch its own 1.5Mta plant in Zambia. However, Mr Rigaux told the Cape Times that demand from neighbouring DR of Congo would help absorb the additional volumes. "The growth there is mass...

ARM posts flat full-year pretax profit

26 March 2015, Published under Cement News

Kenya's ARM Cement posted a pretax profit of KES2.02bn (US$22m) for 2014, up one per cent YoY. The cement maker, which also has operations in Tanzania, said its revenue for the period fell three per cent to KES13.74bn, mainly because there was no additional capacity expansion during the period, the firm said. In a statement, the firm predicted that this year would be better, with growth in turnover and profit. "The cement markets continue to grow at double digits with significant demand f...

EAC producers call for review and uniformity of standards

19 February 2015, Published under Cement News

Regional producers in the East African Community are calling for cement and limestone standards to be reviewed and harmonised in accordance with international best practices. According to reports by AllAfrica news, the move follows complaints from producers over lack of uniformity on standards that govern the industry, which they said affects competitiveness of the sector and ultimately intra-regional trade, especially cement exports. Fidelis Sakwa, a representative of the EAC cement produ...

East Africa rises

05 November 2014, Published under Cement News

East Africa’s cement demand continues to rise as infrastructure and housing needs provide the basis for future consumption. While cement capacity investments continue, a shift in the make-up of ownership is being seen as local companies take up a more prominent position. By Francis Mwangi, Standard Investment Bank Ltd, Kenya. The emerging East African market is characterised by new capacities, growing exports and growing consumption trends Over the past decade, the east African ...

Kenya: Savannah Cement to widen its east African sales

21 October 2014, Published under Cement News

Savannah Cement has confirmed plans to develop its business to the wider east African market as part of its regional integration support. The project will see the company pursue sales opportunities in all the east African countries by next year, the firm’s Managing Director, Ronald Ndegwa, has said. “Savannah Cement’s overall corporate development is anchored on a regional market coverage strategy and we are glad that we have made good inroads in the respective east African markets,” Mr...

GCR affirms ARM Cement's ratings, outlook Stable

30 June 2014, Published under Cement News

Global Credit Ratings (GCR) has today affirmed the national scale ratings assigned to ARM Cement Ltd of A(KE) and A1(KE) in the long term and short term respectively. The outlook is Stable. GCR said the Kenyan cement producer's well-entrenched position in the East African cement industry has been augmented by an aggressive roll-out of capacity in the past five years. With the completion of the Tanga plant in Tanzania later this year, ARM will secure clinker sufficiency in FY14/FY15, which...

Plans for new Kenyan plant in the pipeline

19 May 2014, Published under Cement News

Construction materials supplier Karsan Ramji & Sons plan to set up a new cement production facility in Kenya. The KES426m (US$4.9m) plant is expected to produce an average of 700tpd for sale both locally and within the regional market, according to The East African. Karsan’s factory will be located in Athi River near other established cement producers ARM Cement Ltd, Savanna Cement Ltd, East Africa Portland Cement Company and Bamburi Cement Ltd. Envasses Environmental Consultants Ltd said ...

Turkish firm eyes Uganda investment

28 April 2014, Published under Cement News

Turkish-owned tourism and trading company, Kolin Construction, has expressed interest in Uganda’s cement manufacturing industry, according to local press reports. East African Business Week reported that Kolin Construction company chairman Naci Kologlu met Uganda's president Yoweri Museveni last week, stating:  “There are many opportunities and we think the cement industry is still not so crowded."President Museveni then reportedly asked the company to tap into the abundant raw material opp...

ARM expects new capacity to boost earnings

01 November 2013, Published under Cement News

Kenya’s ARM Cement said it expects earnings to increase at a faster pace this year thanks to its new capacity in Tanzania. In an interview with Reuters, ARM Cement’s chief executive, Pradeep Paunrana, told Reuters that the company is looking to increase its “top line and bottom line by 35 per cent over last year,” and expects similar growth next year regarding its expectations for profitability and sales.. The company commissioned a 0.75Mta grinding plant in the Tanzanian capital of Dar ...