2025, the million-ton new plant invested and constructed by China-Africa Cement Company (CAC) in Edea, Coastal Province of Cameroon was officially put into operation, and Fu Kalistus Gentry, Acting Minister of Mining, Industry and Technology Development, cut the ribbon. In just three months, this small town has gathered two factories. Earlier in June, Sinafcam Sarl took the lead in ignition, followed by Yousheng Cement, which will produce 1.8 million tons per year.
Looking back ten years ago, the cement market in Cameroon was still a "48-year monopoly kingdom" dominated by Cimencam, a subsidiary of LafargeHolcim. Since the policy loosening in 2015, foreign capital such as Dangote, Cimaf of Morocco, Medcem of Turkey and Cimpor of Portugal (currently controlled by Taiwan Cement) have landed one after another, and the capacity curve has soared. At present, the country's total installed capacity has exceeded 10 million tons, while the average annual demand is about 8 million tons. On the surface, "supply exceeds demand," but the terminal price remains unchanged: in Douala and Yaounde, a bag of 50 kilograms of cement still sells for 5,100-5,300 CFA francs (about $9.1-9.5), far higher than level of neighboring countries.
Manufacturers blamed the "high cost of clinker imports", but Luc Magloire Mbaga Atanga, the trade minister, publicly accused "tacit collusion" of being behind the high price of cement. With the full release of production capacity of the three new kilns in Edaia, the pressure of excess market will be further intensified, and the game around pricing power has just begun.
Main existing producers and capacities:
Cimencam: 2.3 million tonnes (LHMA)
Dangote Cement: 1.5 million tonnes (Nigeria)
Cimaf: 1.5 million tonnes (Morocco) Expanded)
Medcem Cameroon: 600,000 tons (Eren Holding, Turkey)
Mira: 1.5 million tons (expansion in 2022)
Cimpor: 1 million tons (Taiwan Cement Holding)
CAC: 1 million tons