In Africa, cement demand and production are both increasing substantially. The total number of countries on the continent has 54. Out of them, 10 have the most cement factories.
These 10 African countries make up 53.7% of the population and account for 73.3% of the cement production and 73.8% of the capacity in recent years.
Compared to global production, these nations produce more than twice as much cement per capita than any other African nation or globally.
The world is experiencing a rapid shift in the production of cement. The remaining 26.7% and 26.2% of cement production and capacity, respectively, come from 33 other countries that produce cement in Africa, which added up to 46.3% of the population.
Despite their status on the map, Africa has very few-if any-domestic cement factories. However, the ones listed here aim to lead the industry.
Top 10 Cement Factories in Africa
The top ten African cement factories produce thousands of metric tons annually. Outlines of specific figures for each company are here for your convenience.
1. Dangote Cement Plc – Nigeria
Dangote Cement Plc is a multinational cement factory and part of the world’s largest cement producer, headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria.
Founded by Aliko Dangote as an industrial giant in 1973 and today boasting a 2.2-million-tonne capacity per annum, it is one of the most ambitious construction projects in Africa. The company has a long history of widespread African cement project development plans.
Dangote Cement is a crucial leader in Sub-Saharan Africa cement manufacturing, operating in ten different African countries. It is the largest cement producer in Africa, with a production capacity of 51.6 million tonnes per year.
The company’s recent technology investment has helped it become a significant player in the global market.
Dangote Cement Plc produces word-class cement in three grades which are 32.5R, 42.5R, and 52.5R, based o the market demand.
Dangote Cement Plc is a leading producer of high-quality cement in Nigeria. Since its inception in 1986, the company has been at the forefront, judging by its capacity and output. The product portfolio includes three grades of cement (32.5R, 42.5R, and 52.5R), with R standing for Rehaufication, which means high-strength types of cement.
Regarding the company’s current financial statement, in August 2022, the cement manufacturer recorded total revenue of 808 billion Nairas, marking a 17% increase compared to last year.
Dangote Cement has 16.7 thousand employees in its workforce across the world. The company’s largest plant is in Lagos, Nigeria, and it plans to produce 100 million tons of cement by 2025.
Dangote Products
· Dangote 3X 42.5R
· Dangote BlocMaster
· Dangote 3X 42.5N
· Dangote Falcon
Dangote Cement Subsidiaries
· Dangote Industries Tanzania
· Dangote Cement Ghana Limited
· Dangote Industries (Ethiopia) Plc
· Dangote Cement Cote D’Ivoire S.A
· Dangote Cement (Sierra Leone) Limited
· Dangote Cement Congo S.A
· Dangote Cement Senegal S.A
· Dangote Cement Liberia Ltd.
· Dangote Industries Zambia Limited
· Dangote Industries Senegal SA
· Dangote Cement Cameroon S.A
Production Capacity & Revenue
Production capacity: 51.6 million tons per year across ten countries
Revenue: N 808. 0 billion as of August 2022
Corporate Head Office: Leadway Marble House, 1 Alfred Rewane Road, PMB 40032, Falomo Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria.
2. Ciments du Maroc (CIMAR) – Morocco
CIMAR is the largest cement factory in Morocco, producing 3.2 million tons annually, and Africa’s second-largest cement company.
The company was established in 1969 and has grown to be a significant business entity in an industry that has been a staple of Morroco’s economy for centuries.
With a turnover of MAD 1.8 billion ($170.7 million) recorded at the end of June 2022, Ciment du Maroc is consistently one of the top-selling cement factories worldwide and contributed to many other companies producing cement too.
In 1952, Ciments du Maroc began its operation in Morocco. The company has maintained its reputation as the leader in aggregates and ready-mixed concrete for over 60 years.
The company has developed from strength to strength after the 1960 earthquake in Agadir, Morocco, with 70 years of technical know-how and expertise.
Ciments du Maroc currently leads as the principal partner in Morocco’s key projects, which cut across industrial and infrastructural development, and modernization of ports and airways, among others.
Ciments du Maroc, the largest cement company in Morocco and the second largest in Africa, has been a critical partner of various Moroccan government projects, including industrial and infrastructural development and modernization of ports and airways.
Ciments du Maroc is a Moroccan cement company that employs over 700 staff from different countries.
It has a rigid industrial system anchored to 33 sites, including concrete plants, cement production sites, quarries, and grinding mills.
Morocco is the third-largest cement market in Africa and the eighth-largest in the world.
Ciments du Maroc currently operates eight (8) cement manufacturing plants in Morocco, including one plant that supplies Ciments de la Mediterranee, a subsidiary of Lafarge SA.
CIMAR Products
· Cement
· Aggregates
· Ready-mixed concrete
Revenue and Production Capacity
Turnover: 3.096 billion (2008)
Net profit: 714.4 million MAD (2008)
Annual cement production capacity: 700,000 tonnes of cement per annum
Address: Moroccan cement, 621, boulevard Panoramique, 20 150 Casablanca, Morocco
3. Suez Cement Group of Companies (SCGC) – Egypt
Suez Cement Group is the leading cement factory in Egypt. It is one of the world’s largest multinational building materials companies, founded in 1874 in Heidelberg, Germany.
It operates an industrial network of four (4) production facilities in Suez, Turah, Helwan, and Kattameya, posing as the country’s largest producer of grey cement.
SCGC Egypt was established in 1977 and has produced cement for over 40 years. The dry method makes SCGC Egypt one of the best dry-process cement manufacturers in the world.
The company exports its products around the world. In addition to serving their local markets, they’ve been awarded an Egyptian Quality Mark from the social sustainability branch of ISO.
Suez Cement Group of Company is Egypt’s largest cement business, according to a 2015 statistics report by Statista. It had a production capacity of 13.32 million tons and produced them for the first time in 2014.
Helwan Cement Company is one of the best in the field, and its acquisition was a great success! Other companies are now competing to purchase S.E.C. Cement, also going public. It’s all about investing – let’s keep our fingers crossed for growth and share in the future rewards.
SCGC Products
· Portland cement
· Limestone cement
· Sulphate-resistant cement
· Slag cement
· Rapid hardening cement.
SCGC Exclusive Details and Highlights
Revenues: 6,461.1 M EGP
Employees: 1, 421
Parent Company – Heidelberg Cement Group
Global cement production capacity – 13.32 million metric tons
Metric tons of cement per year – 4 million
Subsidiaries of SCGC
· Egyptian Tourah Portland Cement Co S.A.E.
· Helan Cement Company S.A.E.
· Axim for Industries Company (S.A.E.)
· Suez for Transportation and Trading Company (s.a.e)
· Ready Mix Concrete El-Alamya (RMCA) S.A.E.
· Ready Mix Concrete Al Alamia (R.M.C.) S.A.E.
· Suez Lime Company
· Suez for Import and Export Co
· Development and Construction Material Company S.A.E.
· Ready Mix Beton S.A.E.
· Helwan Cement Company S.A.E.
Suez Cement Group Plant Locations
1. Suez Plant: K70 Maadi/Ein Sokhna Road – Suez – Egypt.
2. Helwan Plant: Kafr Elw-Helwan – P.O. Box 16 Helwan – Cairo – Egypt.
3. Kattameya Plant: K30 Maadi/Ein Sokhna Road – P.O. Box 2691 – Cairo – Egypt.
4. Turah Plant: Corniche El-Nil Helwan Road Turah – P.O. Box 269 – Cairo – Egypt.
4. Pretoria Portland Cement Company Limited (P.P.C.) – South Africa
P.P.C. is Africa’s most prominent cement manufacturer. Its nine clinker plants in South Africa, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, DR Congo, Rwanda, and Botswana have provided the continent with exceptional products for over a century.
Founded in 1892 in the outskirts of Tshwane (previously called Pretoria), South Africa, the company has developed a strong portfolio over the years.
Pretoria Portland Cement, a company based in Pretoria, is the first to pioneer the supplying of cement, aggregates, fly ash, and ready-mix concrete in southern Africa and beyond. P.P.C. has a recognition for its excellence for over 20 years.
Pretoria Portland Cement is one of the leading lime producers in Africa, producing high-quality lime to meet the growing demand across Sub-Saharan Africa.
P.P.C. continuously maintains its massive cement distribution across many countries, expanding its portfolios and thus responding to the ever-changing economic and operational environments.
Products of Pretoria Portland Cement Company
· Premium Quality Cement
· Lime Cement
· Superior Grade Aggregates
· Superior Premixes
· Wide-ranging Ready Mix Concrete
· Classified and unclassified Fly Ash
Plant Locations
P.P.C. Inland: 62 Lower Germiston Road, Heriotdale, Johannesburg South.
P.P.C. Coastal: P.P.C. Montague Gardens, Corner Chain Ave & Montague Drive, Montague Gardens
Production Capacity and Revenue
Annual cement production capacity – 11.5 million tpa
Revenue: $618 Million
5. Ghana Cement (Ghacem) Ghana
Ghana Cement is a large cement factory located in Accra, Ghana. It was established in 1967 by the government of Ghana in partnership with the Norwegian company Norcem AS.
The factory produces clinker and cement, which then is exported to markets worldwide.
The significant expansion in the production capacity of its factories volume is primarily the result of the company’s increasing efforts since its inception.
Ghacem currently opens two new production plants in Takoradi and Tema to meet the increasing cement demand. It produces and supplies the best quality cement across the construction industry across the country at reasonable rates.
Ghacem, Ghana’s leading cement producer, currently operates two production plants. With a capacity of 2.5 million metric tonnes per annum (Mtpa), Ghacem has been able to meet the increased demand for quality cement across the construction industry in Ghana.
Ghacem Products
· Ghacem Super Rapid – Cement Class 32.5R
· Ghacem Super Strong – Cement Class 42.5R
· Ghacem Extra
· Cement Class 42.5N
· Sulphate Resistant Cement
Production Capacity & Revenue
Production capacity: over 30 million tons per year
Revenue: $65 million
Employees: 336 (4 on RocketReach)
Location: Harbour Area, P.O. Box 646, Tema Ghana
6. Bamburi Cement Limited – Kenya
Bamburi Cement Limited, the largest cement manufacturer in Kenya, boasts local preeminence in production and market share, with cement and concrete as its specialty products.
Its main competitors include Lafarge Kenya Ltd, the leading cement company in Africa for decades.
Lafarge Cement Limited is a company specializing in cement manufacturing and production. It is also one of the world’s largest cement manufacturers.
The establishment of Bamburi Cement in Kenya came through Felix Mandl, who had a vision and a pioneering spirit.
Bamburi Cement Limited began operation in 1952, with the first plant located in Bamburi. The company has grown since then to become a significant contributor, a household brand, and an industry leader in cement, precast concrete, and paving blocks.
Total annual production: 2.1 million tons per year
Subsidiary
· Hima Cement Limited Uganda
· Bamburi Special Products Limited
· Lafarge Eco Systems Limited
· Binastore Limited
· Kenya Cement Marketing Ltd.
Bamburi Cement Corporate Office: Kitui Road, Off Kampala Road, Industrial Area, Nairobi P.O. Box 10921 – 00100 Nairobi, Kenya.
Revenue: KShs 2.2bn in 2021
7. Groupe des Ciments d’Algérie (GICA Group) – Algeria
Groupe des Ciments d’Algérie (Cement Industrial Group of Algeria) is the dominant cement producer in Algeria. A decree of the French administration in 1891 founded it.
The Algerian government owns 100% of the company based in Oran. It was established on the 26th of November, 2009, and comprises up to twenty-three specialized subsidiaries.
Groupe des Ciments d’Algérie (Cement Industrial Group of Algeria) operates 14 locations for cement works and three ready-mix/aggregates companies, two industrial maintenance companies, and 1 Distribution Company.
Their main goal is to produce high-quality, environmentally friendly cement that does not pollute the environment.
GICA Group also operates a training/development center and a technical assistance center for support and related services.
Groupe des Ciments d’Algérie is one of the leading companies in North Africa.
It has an installed capacity of 5,800,000 tonnes which it produces for the Algerian market. The Group comprises ten factories and has a geographical presence in Algeria and Morocco.
GICA Group Products
· GICA cement
· Aggregates and ready-mixed concrete
· Agglomerated products
· Gypsum and Tufa
Annual production capacity: 12.5m tonnes of cement per year
8. The Carthage Cement – Tunisia
Carthage Cement is the most technologically advanced cement plant in Tunisia. The factory, developed with an investment of more than $500 million, offers its customers the highest quality and productivity.
It has state-of-the-art production tools that enable it to produce high-quality cement cost-effectively.
Tunisia has a diverse landscape, with deserts, mountains, and coastlines. Carthage Cement began production in 2008 due to the country’s need for a cement plant that would serve the nation’s needs and demand.
The company founded a new cement plant in 2013, spread over 218 hectares near the Jbel Ressas quarry, Djebel Ressas, and designed to produce 5,800 tons of cement per day.
Carthage Cement Activities
The company specializes in three significant activities, which include the following:
· Exploitation, manufacturing, and selling of cement and aggregates from the Jebel Ressas site
· Manufacturing and marketing of ready-to-use concrete
· Production and sales of hydraulic binders.
Production Capacity of the Company’s Products
· Cement: 6,800 Tons per day
· Aggregates: 12,800 Tons per day
· Ready-to-use concrete: 2,600 m3 per day
Annual Production Capacity: 2.2 million tons of cement per year
Address: Block A of the building located in front of the Embassy of the United States of America Lot H.S.C. 1-4-3- Les Jardins du lac2- 1053 Tunis, Tunisia.
9. Tanzania Portland Cement Public Limited Company (TPCPLC) – Tanzania
Dar es Salaam Cement Plant is located in Tanzania, Africa. TPCPLC is one of the largest cement factories in the world and has been operational since 1958.
It has a production capacity of 2.2 million tons per annum and employs approximately 3000 people.
Tanzania Portland Cement Public Limited Company has a public listing on the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange.
It has, over the years, managed to grow its business into a leading cement producer in East Africa with an annual turnover of US$5 billion and an installed capacity of 400,000 metric tons per day.
Although Tanzania Portland Cement Public Limited Company (TPCPLC), established in 1966, became nationalized in 1978 when the company changed its name. Today, TPCPLC is one of Africa’s largest cement producers.
Presently, Tanzania Portland Cement manufactures five major cement brands, which include the following;
· Twiga Extra (32.5R)
· Twiga Plus (42.5N)
· Twiga Ordinary (42.5N)
· Twiga Jenga (MC 22.5X), and
· Twiga Super (32.5N)
In 2009, the company increased its production capacity under the CM5 project from 1.4 million metric tons to 2.0 million metric tons by constructing a new cement plant on the banks of the Indian Ocean and increasing its production.
Highlights of TPCPLC
Trade name: D.S.E.: TWIGA
Number of employees: 285 (2018)
Product Name: Twiga Cement
Revenue: Aftertax: T.Z.S.: 56.46 billion (US$25 million) (2018)
Contact Information: P.O. Box 1950, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
10. Dangote Industries (Ethiopia) Plc
Ethiopia is a landlocked country with few natural resources. The country relies heavily on imported cement to meet its construction needs.
The largest cement producer in the country is Dangote Cement, located in Addis Ababa. The company produces and markets high-quality grades of cement that meet market demands at competitive prices.
It remains the nation’s leading cement plant with rich limestone reserves of Dangote Industries (Ethiopia) Plc, estimated at 223 million tons.
The demand for cement is rising due to the construction boom in developing countries such as Ethiopia.
The company expects to produce 1.0 million tons of cement, which will be enough to meet domestic and regional demands.
Dangote Cement is a leading multinational company in Nigeria. It has been the pioneer of the top cement factories in Ethiopia, among Derba Midroc Cement, Messebo, and Mugher cement factories. Forbes Magazine has also recognized Dangote Cement as one of the top 10 employers in Nigeria.
Dangote Cement Ethiopia Products
Dangote Cement, in all its locations across the globe, manufactures premium quality cement in three grades, viz;
1. 32.5R CEM II
The lower clinker content, augmented by pumice additive and gypsum, is best for masonry, low-rise buildings, plastering, and many other building purposes.
2. 42.5R (3X) CEM II-AL
Higher clinker content, fit for most building uses including high-rise, some infrastructure work
3. 52.5 CEM I
The third grade is another higher clinker content, suitable for dams, brides, and major infrastructure construction.
Contact Details
Office Location: Bole Sub City, Kebele 03/05, House No. 2014, Addis Ababa
Plant Location: Oromia National Regional Government, West Shewa Zone, Ada Berga District, Mugher Town, 90 K.M. out of Addis Ababa
Final Words
Africa is on the verge of a construction boom, with new project plans and executions daily. Many people are looking for cement suppliers to help with their work.
However, finding these cement suppliers can be challenging on such a large continent. To make this search easier, we have compiled an article with Africa’s ten largest cement factories.
Africa generates only 3% of global cement production, but its per-capita production is the highest globally. It represents a dramatic increase from 0.4 tons per person to 1 ton per person.
Africa poses a destination for the mass production of cement, with the above ten cement factories leading the way across the industry.
Africa is a hotbed for cement production, with many countries competing to become the leading cement producers on the continent. These ten factories produce cement above 40% of the total African output.
