According to the African Development Bank, East Africa will grow by 5.6% in 2015 and by 6.7% in 2016 making it the fastest growing
region on the continent.
Today 54% of the world’s population lives in urban areas, but by 2050 the urban population is expected to rise as high as 62% in Africa. Currently only about 40% of African people live in urban environments, but as urbanisation rates continue to climb, some African cities will swell by up to 85% of their current size over the next 30 years. Urban growth in sub-Saharan Africa is already double the world’s average at 3.6%.
Shifting African demographics see more people flocking to cities, and as cities densify it is imperative that urban development focuses not only on housing delivery but also on the development of sustainable cities.
East Africa is a region at the forefront of infrastructure development and new construction business opportunities as the region’s growing middle class spurs demand for local service delivery.
As East African nations implement policies and projects in line with growth and demand, Totally Concrete East Africa has emerged as the leading platform in the region where infrastructure delivery goals are defined and strategic planning is implemented.
Myriad new projects in East Africa’s construction pipeline
There are myriad new properties under development across East Africa with more construction sites cropping up almost on a daily basis. In Kenya the government has introduced regulations to allow Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) to be used to develop new housing projects with currently 76,000 units in the pipeline.
In Ethiopia, the construction of the tallest building in the region is now under way by the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia, comprising 46 storeys and a price ticket of USD $2 million. But local construction projects are not limited to social and commercial infrastructure as there are also many civil infrastructure projects in various phases of completion across the region.
One such example is Ethiopia’s Grand Renaissance Dam that will not only provide a sustainable source of power once it is completed in 2017 but will also create employment for over 12,000 people. These represent just some of the projects that are shaping the project pipeline in East Africa and forging new market opportunities for cement manufacturers and other building material suppliers.
This October at Totally Concrete East Africa, in support of the region’s exponential growth prospects, the latest in building and concrete technology will be shared by leading construction entrepreneurs and innovators.
Geoff Griffiths, Managing Director of Geoff Griffiths & Associates in Kenya will be there to unpack aggregates for concrete with an emphasis on quarry fines and control of moisture content in batching to allow for maximum concrete strength and structural integrity.
Catherine Langreney, President of the East African Cement Producers Association and CEO of Mbeya Cement in Tanzania will be there to discuss the use of 22.5 grade cement in East Africa for soil brick stabilisation.
Totally Concrete East Africa brings together the region’s leading project owners to source and identify top contractors and suppliers to reach more project targets on budget and on time.
Not only will the event provide access to world renowned innovative builders and engineers, it will also provide practical training on how maximise building sustainability and structural integrity under local marketplace conditions.
Sponsored by ARM Cement and supported by more than 15 local partners including Kenya Vision 2030, National Construction Authority of Kenya, National Construction Council of Tanzania, the East African Cement Producers Association, Kenya Property Developers Association, and the Association of Citizen Contractors of Tanzania, Totally Concrete East Africa unites the entire cement, concrete and construction industry value chain to raise levels of productivity and competitiveness, accelerate structural transformation and make the shift toward an inclusive, sustainable growth path in East Africa and beyond.
“Totally Concrete East Africa highlights the important role of all disciplines from designers, engineers and manufacturers to policy makers in ensuring that cement and other building materials are effectively used to benefit the developing construction industry in our region,” says Petrina Manase Salema, Architect and Interior Designer from Epitome Architects in Tanzania.
Quick facts about cement and construction in East Africa
Did you know?
Kenya: 1.8 million square feet of commercial shopping malls will be constructed in Nairobi in 2015.
Ethiopia: 960,000 houses will be built in the next 10 years
Tanzania: Cement output rose by 18.9% in 2014 to over 3 million tonnes and will double to 6 million tonnes by next year
Rwanda: Cement production capacity is being increased from 100,000 to 600,000 metric tons annually in order to meet local demand
More information from www.totally-concrete.com/east
