Pretoria Portland Cement (PPC) Zimbabwe MD, Kelibone Masiyane, says its $75-million plant in Harare, expected to produce more than 680 000 tonnes of cement annually, is almost complete, with commissioning already scheduled for year-end.
Commenting on the company’s performance in the first half of the year, Masiyane said the business was depressed compared to last year. However, Masiyane said good cost control measures had led to impressive declines in production costs and overheads. In its reviewed provisional results for the six month period ended March 31 2016, the South African-headquartered company said local selling prices for its cement went down 3%.
It said volumes, including exports, at its Zimbabwean unit went down 22% in the first half of the year due to liquidity challenges, increased local competition and lower disposable income. The company has cement manufacturing plants at Cementside in Bulawayo and Colleen Bawn in Matabeleland South. Its Bulawayo plant produced around 600 000 tonnes of cement in 2014, while operating at 75% of installed capacity.
