(Business in Cameroon) – Cameroon’s cement production is expected to rise significantly between July and September 2024, compared to the same period in 2023. This boost is largely due to the new plant from Ciments du Portugal (Cimpor), according to a forecast from the Bank of Central African States (Beac).
On July 19, 2024, Prime Minister Joseph Dion Nguté inaugurated the Cimpor cement plant in the industrial port area of Kribi in the South Region. Although officially launched in July, this plant, which has an annual capacity of one million tons, has been operational since June 2023. It introduced its 42.5-grade cement, Powercem, to the market quietly. In the first quarter of 2024, Cimpor also launched a 32.5-grade version of Powercem.
Cimpor is now the sixth cement factory in Cameroon, marking the end of Cimenteries du Cameroun’s (Cimencam) monopoly. Cimencam, a subsidiary of Lafarge Holcim Maroc Afrique (LHMA), dominated the market for 48 years until 2015, when Dangote Cement entered the scene. Following Dangote’s entry, several other players, including Moroccan Cimaf, Turkish-owned Medcem, and Mira Company, have joined the market, further increasing competition.
With Cimpor’s arrival, Cameroon’s total cement production capacity now stands at 8.4 million tons, more than sufficient to meet the national demand of around 8 million tons and allow for potential exports. Despite this increase in production capacity since 2015, the price of a 50 kg bag of cement remains high, ranging between CFA5,100 and CFA5,300 in the country’s two largest cities.
Consumers have expressed frustration that cement prices haven’t dropped despite increased competition. Producers and the government cite the high cost of imported clinker, a key ingredient in cement production, as a reason for the sustained prices. However, the government sometimes suspects producers of colluding to keep prices high.
