Source: Dinson invests US$15m in new cement plant – herald
Oliver Kazunga
Senior Reporter
DINSON Industrial Group, which has invested a cumulative US$2 billion in Zimbabwe, intends to establish a US$15 million cement manufacturing plant in Manhize to boost local production of the building material and reduce imports.
The new plant, to be located within the Dinson Special Economic Zone near Mvuma, will have an annual production capacity of more than 300 000 tonnes and is expected to create about 150 additional jobs when it comes on stream.
Dinson projects director Mr Wilfred Motsi said production is targeted for mid-2027.
“We are investing over US$15 million into the planned cement plant with a production capacity of over 300 000 tonnes per year, and we expect production to start by mid-2027, creating an additional 150 jobs,” he said.
The investment adds to Dinson’s growing industrial portfolio in Zimbabwe, where the entity — owned by China’s Tsingshan Holding Group — operates Dinson Iron and Steel Company in Manhize, Afrochine Smelting in Chegutu and Dinson Colliery in Hwange.
The flagship Manhize steelworks, valued at about US$1,5 billion, is already producing 600 000 tonnes of steel under Phase I, with output projected to increase to 1,2 million tonnes in the second phase, 3,2 million tonnes in Phase III and eventually five million tonnes annually at full capacity.
The move into cement production, Mr Motsi said, is part of the company’s strategy to support value addition and industrialisation, while leveraging by-products from its steel operations.
“We are extending our tentacles into cement production in support of the Government’s call for value addition and beneficiation, as well as the industrialisation agenda,” he said.
“Through the steelworks project, we generate slag as a raw material, and the development of the cement plant is a direct response to Government’s call for beneficiation and industrialisation,” he said.
He added that the company will also source limestone from areas such as Lalapanzi and Masvingo, creating additional opportunities for local suppliers and businesses.
Zimbabwe’s cement industry is currently experiencing rising demand, driven by large-scale infrastructure projects, mining expansion and increased private housing construction.
However, local production capacity — currently anchored by Pretoria Portland Cement (PPC) Zimbabwe, Khaya Cement, Sino Zimbabwe Cement Company and Mortal Investments — has struggled to keep pace with demand, estimated at about 1,8 million tonnes annually. As a result, the country imports between 35 000 tonnes and 45 000 tonnes of cement monthly to bridge the supply gap. The authorities say the entry of new players, including Dinson and other investors such as Shuntai Investments, West International Holdings, ZH Energy, JainQiang Cement and Huaxin Cement, is expected to ease supply constraints, stabilise prices and create jobs. The Government has been issuing import licences with quotas to manage shortages, but rising demand has continued to outstrip supply, highlighting the need for increased domestic production.
Dinson’s latest investment is, therefore, expected to play a key role in import substitution.
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