PPC’s Zimbabwe subsidiary, Portland Holdings Limited (PHL), is to establish a new cement plant in Mashonaland province. The plant will have a production capacity of 1 million tpa and will serve the Harare and central Mozambique markets. A preliminary study for the plant is currently at an advanced stage and exploration drilling has already begun at several locations. In addition to the new cement plant, a grinding facility will also be constructed in Tete, Mozambique. The expansion plans form part of PPC’s aim to increase its revenue outside of its South African operations from 21% to 40% by 2016.
The announcement about the plant was made during celebrations for PHL’s centenary. Speaking at the event in Harare, PPC CEO Ketso Gordhan stated: “In recent years our investment in Zimbabwe has shown strong growth on the back of a more buoyant and stable economy. This, together with the fact that PPC has received an indigenisation certificate, makes us optimistic about the future of the economy and the country as a whole”.
Adapted from press release by Louise Fordham.