Kagame Inaugurates its Anjia Cement Plant, the Largest in Rwanda
On 3rd August 2023, President Paul Kagame inaugurated the AnJia Cement Factory, which is the largest in Rwanda. The project is a JV between West International Holding and AnJia Prefabricated Construction Company.
The West International Holding is the international arm of West China Cement (WCC), which is headquartered in the city of Xi’an and is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under ticker 2233. As the name suggests, WCC is a Chinese firm specializing in the production and commercialization of various types of cement.
“Over the years, West China Cement and West International Holding have become key players in Africa’s efforts to reach self-sufficiency in cement production. I commend you for your commitment to infrastructure development on our continent.”
Rwandan President Paul Kagame
The total investment is estimated to reach USD 100 million as the company plans to move into prefabricated construction materials as well. The plant is located is Muhanga Industrial Park in the Southern Province, some 50 kilometers southwest of the capital Kigali. West China Cement invested some USD 50 million to build a state-of-the-art cement plant with an annual capacity of one million tonnes.
Rwanda was selected due to its #GoodGovernance and conducive #BusinessClimate. Since Kagame took office, Rwanda has undergone a remarkable transformation and the country is often cited as an example in Africa.
Chinese Ambassador to Rwanda, Wang Xuekun, highlighted that the factory will create 1,000 jobs and significantly enhance construction standards in Rwanda by supplying quality products at affordable price. The cement plant is good example of the new ‘high-quality projects’ that China wishes to implement under #BRI.
After the entry of operation of the high-performance AnJia Cement Plant, cement prices in Rwanda are expected to drop. Grade 32.5 cement will decrease from RWF 12,500 to RWF 9,750 while for Grade 42.5, the price will fall from RWF 13,000 to RWF 10,500.
Clare Akamanzi, CEO of Rwanda Development Board (RDB), underlined that China is currently the top source of #FDI into Rwanda. Over the last five years, Rwanda has received nearly USD one billion of FDI from China. It is estimated that these investments have created 25,000 jobs in Rwanda.
It is worth highlighting that this project is in line with the promotion of Local Value Addition (#LVA) through industrialization as per the AU #Agenda2063. Only through #LVA can Africa hope to move up the #GVC and attain its next level of socio-economic development.
“We will continue to expand our investments in Rwanda, with a total investment of more than 100 million US dollars, thereby expanding the entire supply chain. Our aim is to provide high-quality products at a competitive price to contribute to Rwanda’s economic and social development.”
West China Cement Chairman ZHANG Jimin
Africa has become the new Eldorado for Chinese cement producers. Whilst in China, the price of cement fell to USD 40 per tonne, in rapidly growing economies in Africa, the price surpassed USD 110 per tonne. By some estimates, the African cement market is expected to grow from USD 33 billion in 2023 to USD 42 billion by 2030, representing a robust compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of nearly 5%. By contrast, due to the apartment glut in China and construction crisis, the cement demand is expected to fall by half compared to its pre-2020 high.
Other than Rwanda, West China Cement also has operations in Mozambique and Ethiopia. It has plans to enter Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Other Chinese cement companies active in Africa include Huaxin Cement, Conch Cement, Pengfei and Sinoma.
In addition to AnJia Cement, there are another three cement manufacturers in Rwanda: Cimerva Cement, Kigali Cement and Prime Cement. In the future, Rwanda hopes to build up sufficient production capacity in order to be able to export to neighboring countries in the region thanks to the #AfCFTA.