CEMENT prices have begun to retreat from recent highs, driven by a combination of cooling seasonal demand, increased domestic production, and a steady inflow of imports. After soaring to as much as US$18 per 50kg bag — up from US$12 just three months ago — retail prices have started to ease. Most traders in Harare are now selling the commodity for between US$15 and US$16.
“We hope to see prices back at normal levels by January,” said Mr Elijah Ngare, a local cement trader.
The price correction coincides with the onset of the rainy season. Construction activity in Zimbabwe typically peaks between April and November, but the arrival of the rains naturally slows outdoor projects.
This seasonal dip in demand has effectively curbed the “unprecedented” prices that characterised the third quarter of 2025.
Beyond seasonal trends, a major driver of the previous price surge was logistics. Importers faced delays of up to three weeks at the Chirundu Border Post. The bottlenecks — triggered by Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) loss-control audits and heavy traffic congestion — combined with other domestic supply factors to inflate transportation costs, which were ultimately passed on to consumers.
On the manufacturing front, the industry is recovering from a series of operational setbacks. Sino-Zimbabwe recently completed scheduled maintenance, while other major players, including PPC Zimbabwe and Khayah Cement (formerly Lafarge), have resolved plant breakdowns that constrained local supply during the dry season.
Khayah Cement, under corporate rescue, has invested US$20 million to rehabilitate its clinker kiln plant. The facility resumed operations in early December after remaining idle for 26 months.
PPC Zimbabwe
PPC Zimbabwe maintained that it had kept production consistent throughout the year, saying it had no intention of creating artificial shortages.
Industry and Commerce Minister Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu, who recently toured the PPC and Khayah plants, noted that the cement supply strain resulted from several factors, including a breakdown at PPC’s Harare plant, scheduled maintenance at Sino-Zimbabwe Cement in Kwekwe, and a two-week disruption in clinker imports from Zambia.
“All these things converged at the same time, leading to the huge supply bottleneck we experienced.
We saw those who had products increasing their prices, and the response was to open up for imports. But opening up is never a permanent solution. A permanent solution is when, as a country, we develop our own capabilities,” said Minister Ndlovu.
Khayah Cement’s corporate rescue practitioner, Mr Bulisa Mbano, said the US$20 million investment marked a turning point for the company, which has long been weighed down by debt and operational inefficiencies.
“The positive is that all creditors will be paid down in a compromise amount and settled immediately. This gives the company immediate relief and the breathing space to focus on growth rather than liabilities. The US$20 million injection into the clinker kiln will be a game changer in the cement industry,” he said.
The Government says Zimbabwe will achieve self-sufficiency in cement production by mid-next year — a development expected to reshape the country’s construction sector and transform it into a regional exporter.
The operationalisation of major new cement plants, primarily driven by significant foreign capital, will drastically increase domestic output, eliminating the historical reliance on imports. Projects such as the US$120 million Chegutu cement plant by Shuntai Investment, scheduled to commence production early next year, are expected to add 800 000 tonnes per annum when fully operational — about 80 percent of current capacity.
Africa’s wealthiest man, Aliko Dangote, plans a US$1 billion investment in Zimbabwe that includes the establishment of a cement manufacturing plant. His existing cement products from a Zambian operation are already in the local market.
Two cement plants recently commissioned in Hwange are already having a noticeable impact on the market, with their product — a blend of coal ash and clinker — flowing into the supply chain.-herald
