Biggest Cement Producers in Africa in 2026

Published: November 10, 2026

Key Facts

• Dangote Cement is Africa's biggest cement producer by installed capacity. Its plants can make 55.0 million tonnes of cement a year across 11 African countries. That is more than three times the capacity of its nearest rival.
• Nigeria dominates the ranking. The top two producers are Nigerian, and Nigeria's big three hold 62.75 million tonnes of capacity. That is 37.6% of the whole Top 10 total of 167.0 million tonnes.
• Egypt has three producers in the Top 10, but none in the top four. Suez Cement Group, National Cement Company and Holcim Egypt hold 33.5 million tonnes between them.
• South Africa's champion, PPC, ranks only eighth at 11.5 million tonnes. Kenya's biggest producer, Bamburi Cement, does not make the Top 10 at all. Its current capacity is 1.8 million tonnes.
• These figures are installed capacity, not actual production. Dangote produced 27.5 million tonnes in 2025 against 55.0 million tonnes of capacity. The Methodology explains the definition and the ranking unit.

* CIMAF's figure is approximate. See Methodology.

Together, the top 10 hold 167.0 million tonnes of installed capacity. Dangote alone holds 32.9% of that total. It is bigger than the second, third and fourth producers combined, at 44.5 million tonnes. The top three together hold 86.0 million tonnes, more than the other seven combined at 81.0 million tonnes. Nigeria is the centre of gravity: its big three hold more capacity than Egypt's three producers and Morocco's two leading producers combined. Nigeria is also one of the continent's largest economies, and cement is one of the industries where its scale shows most clearly.

1. Dangote Cement, Nigeria and 10 other countries

Dangote Cement holds 55.0 million tonnes a year of installed capacity across 11 African countries. That is 3.24 times the capacity of its nearest rival, BUA Cement. Its Nigerian plants hold 35.25 million tonnes. Obajana in Kogi State holds 16.25, Ibese in Ogun State holds 12, Gboko in Benue State holds 4, and Okpella in Edo State holds 3. Obajana is the largest cement plant in Africa. The other 19.75 million tonnes sit in 10 countries, from Ethiopia and Tanzania to Senegal, Cameroon and South Africa. A 3 million tonne grinding plant in Côte d'Ivoire started up in 2025. Dangote produced only 27.5 million tonnes in 2025, so its plants ran at about 53% of capacity. The company aims to reach 80 million tonnes of capacity by 2030, with a 6 million tonne plant at Itori in Ogun State on the way. Dangote Cement is listed in Lagos and is controlled by Aliko Dangote, Africa's richest person.

2. BUA Cement, Nigeria

BUA Cement holds 17.0 million tonnes a year of installed capacity, all of it in Nigeria. Its Obu plant in Edo State holds about 9 million tonnes and its Sokoto plant holds about 8 million tonnes. Two new 3 million tonne lines, one at each plant, were commissioned in 2024 and lifted capacity from 11 million tonnes to 17 million tonnes. BUA produced about 8.2 million tonnes in 2024, so it too runs well below capacity. The company is controlled by Abdulsamad Rabiu, Nigeria's second cement billionaire, and the Dangote versus BUA rivalry is the best known contest in African industry. BUA has announced plans to reach about 20 million tonnes. A new line in Sokoto and a plant at Ososo in Edo State would add the extra capacity. Neither is built yet, so neither counts here.

3. West China Cement, Ethiopia, Mozambique, DRC, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda

West China Cement holds 14.0 million tonnes a year of cement capacity in Sub-Saharan Africa, according to its own August 2026 investor presentation. It is the least familiar name in the top three, but it has built fast since entering Africa in 2020. Its Ethiopian plants hold 6.3 million tonnes: Lemi National Cement at 5.0 million tonnes, opened in September 2024, and National Cement at 1.3 million tonnes. Its Moroto plant in Uganda, at 3.0 million tonnes, started up in March 2026. Dugongo Cement in Mozambique holds 2.0 million tonnes. Its Great Lakes plant in the Democratic Republic of Congo holds 1.5 million tonnes, with grinding mills in Rwanda, Tanzania and a CILU plant near Kinshasa. The company is listed in Hong Kong. It is the largest cement supplier in Ethiopia, ahead of Dangote's Ethiopian plants.

4. Holcim Maroc, Morocco

Holcim Maroc, listed in Casablanca as LafargeHolcim Maroc, holds 13.5 million tonnes a year of capacity, all of it in Morocco. Its own annual reports state the figure for both 2022 and 2024. The company runs seven cement plants and three grinding centres. Its newest plant, Agadir-Souss in the south, opened in 2022 with 1.6 million tonnes of capacity and runs on wind power with heavy automation. Holcim Maroc is Morocco's market leader and the largest industrial company on the Casablanca exchange by market value. It is part of the Swiss Holcim group, but it is ranked here as the Moroccan listed company, not as part of Holcim's global total.

5. Suez Cement Group, Egypt

Suez Cement Group holds more than 12 million tonnes a year of capacity, according to its own company briefing and a current Egyptian government page. Its network covers four plants: Suez, Katameya, Tourah and Helwan. Older descriptions list a fifth plant at Minya. It is Egypt's largest cement producer and a subsidiary of Germany's Heidelberg Materials. The figure is the weakest dated figure in the top five. The last dated company total is from 2014, though the same "more than 12 million tonnes" figure still appears on a current government page. A Heidelberg group table implies about 11.5 million tonnes on a nameplate basis, which is consistent with 12. We use 12.0 and say so plainly in the Methodology.

6. National Cement Company, Egypt

National Cement Company holds 12.0 million tonnes a year of capacity at its Beni Suef complex in Upper Egypt. The complex has six production lines and opened in August 2018. It is owned by the Egyptian armed forces through the National Service Projects Organization, which holds 98.98% of the shares. The company itself states the 12.0 million tonne figure. Early press reports said 13 million tonnes, but that is the theoretical maximum of six lines running 365 days a year. The plant is real and busy: it produced 10.5 million tonnes in 2021, which was 22.3% of Egypt's total cement production that year. The army built it to balance cement prices in a market with chronic shortages and sharp price rises.

7. CIMAF, 13 African countries

CIMAF, short for Ciments de l'Afrique, holds about 12.0 million tonnes a year of capacity across 13 African countries. The figure is approximate, and it is the softest figure in this ranking. No audited CIMAF group total is published. The estimate rests on two supports: trade press put the group's installed capacity above 10 million tonnes in 2016, and a plant by plant count lands near 12 today. CIMAF runs 13 grinding plants in 10 countries, including Ghana, Gabon, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Congo and Guinea-Bissau. Its Gabon plant at Owendo grew to 1.85 million tonnes in October 2026. Its parent is OIP, the Moroccan Addoha group of Anas Sefrioui. Grinding plants make cement from imported clinker, so CIMAF depends on clinker supply in a way the integrated producers do not.

8. PPC, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, DRC, Rwanda and Ethiopia

PPC holds about 11.5 million tonnes a year of capacity across 11 factories in six African countries. It was founded in 1892 as Pretoria Portland Cement and is South Africa's biggest cement producer. Most of its capacity sits in South Africa, with plants in Zimbabwe, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Ethiopia. PPC is building a new 1.5 million tonne plant in the Western Cape, called RK3, at a cost of 3.1 billion rand. It is due to finish in late 2027 and will replace some existing capacity. Like the Nigerian producers, PPC runs well below its installed capacity. South Africa's cement demand has been flat for years, and imports and new entrants have squeezed its market share.

9. HBM Nigeria, Nigeria

HBM Nigeria holds 10.5 million tonnes a year of installed capacity across four plants: Ewekoro and Sagamu in Ogun State, Mfamosing in Cross River State, and Ashaka in Gombe State. Mfamosing, at 5.0 million tonnes, is its largest plant. The company was Lafarge Africa until August 2025, when China's Huaxin Building Materials Group bought an 83.81% stake from Holcim. It was renamed HBM Nigeria in 2026. Capacity has not changed since the takeover. In February 2026 the company announced plans to expand Sagamu to 3.5 million tonnes and Ashaka to 2.0 million tonnes. That would lift the total to about 14 million tonnes. Construction will take two to three years, so the current figure stays 10.5.

10. Holcim Egypt, Egypt

Holcim Egypt holds 9.5 million tonnes a year of capacity at a single plant in Ain Sokhna, near Suez. The plant has five lines and covers just over a million square metres. It was Lafarge Egypt until Holcim renamed its Egyptian business, and it is one of the largest cement plants in the Middle East and Africa. Egypt's industry minister visited the plant in August 2026 and confirmed the 9.5 million tonne figure. The plant exported about 1.5 million tonnes of clinker last year. An older figure of 10.2 million tonnes circulates, but two agreeing reports from 2023 and 2026 both give 9.5, so we use 9.5. Holcim Egypt closes the Top 10, just ahead of Ciments du Maroc at about 8.0 million tonnes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the biggest cement producer in Africa in 2026?

Dangote Cement, with 55.0 million tonnes a year of installed capacity across 11 African countries. That is 3.24 times the capacity of its nearest rival, BUA Cement at 17.0 million tonnes. Dangote alone holds more capacity than the second, third and fourth producers combined, at 44.5 million tonnes.

How much bigger is Dangote than its nearest rival?

Dangote's 55.0 million tonnes is 3.24 times BUA Cement's 17.0 million tonnes. Dangote's Nigerian plants alone, at 35.25 million tonnes, are more than double BUA's entire company. Dangote is also exactly twice its two Nigerian rivals combined: BUA at 17.0 plus HBM Nigeria at 10.5 equals 27.5, and 55.0 divided by 27.5 is 2.00.

Why is no Kenyan or South African company near the top of the ranking?

South Africa's PPC ranks eighth at 11.5 million tonnes. Its home market has been flat for years, and its capacity has barely grown. Kenya's biggest producer, Bamburi Cement, holds only 1.8 million tonnes today and does not make the Top 10. Bamburi is expanding to 4.0 million tonnes with a new clinker plant at Matuga, but that plant is still being built. Kenya's producers are small and mostly grind imported clinker rather than making it.

What is the difference between installed capacity and actual production?

Installed capacity is the most cement a company's plants could make in a year if they ran flat out. Actual production is what they really made. Dangote produced 27.5 million tonnes in 2025 against 55.0 million tonnes of capacity, about 53% utilisation. Africa has large cement overcapacity, so capacity and production differ widely. This ranking uses capacity because it is published for every producer, while production figures are not.

Why is Heidelberg Materials not ranked as one company?

Heidelberg Materials publishes no Africa total, so its African capacity cannot be stated from a single source. Its subsidiaries are ranked separately instead: Suez Cement Group is fifth at 12.0 million tonnes and Ciments du Maroc is just outside the Top 10 at about 8.0 million tonnes. Added together, Heidelberg's verified African subsidiaries alone total more than 24 million tonnes, which would rank second if consolidated. The same applies to Holcim Ltd and Huaxin, whose subsidiaries appear as separate rows.

Data Sources

• Dangote Cement Plc, FY2025 results presentation, 28 February 2026: Dangote Cement Plc Result Presentation 2025
• DataPro rating report on Dangote Cement Plc, June 2026: Dangote Cement Plc Corporate Rating Report 2026
• BUA Cement capacity, 17 million tonnes: BUA moves to expand cement production to 20m tons per annum and BUA Cement FY 2025 review, Proshare
• West China Cement Limited, 2026 Interim Results presentation, August 2026: 2026 Interim Results
• LafargeHolcim Maroc, Rapport Financier Annuel 2024: LHM RFA 2024
• Suez Cement Group corporate briefing, 31 March 2014: Suez Cement Corporate Briefing 2014 and Cairo Metro: Suez Cement Group capacity
• National Company for Cement, chief executive message: National Company for Cement, CEO message and Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism: The people of Beni Suef inhale Egyptian army cement fumes
• CIMAF group capacity: First industrial reference for a Polysius booster mill, ZKG and The Addoha Group's expansion continues, CemNet
• PPC Ltd capacity: PPC company profile, JSE and One of South Africa's oldest companies to build R3 billion plant, Daily Investor
• HBM Nigeria Plc capacity: Lafarge Africa invests in Nigeria's future, TheCable and Lafarge Africa's planned 5 mt capacity upgrade, Premium Times
• Holcim Egypt capacity: Egypt's cement sector vital to industrial growth, Daily News Egypt
• Ciments du Maroc capacity, first outside the Top 10: Morocco: local market presence, Heidelberg Materials

Methodology

This ranking uses installed annual cement production capacity, measured in million tonnes a year (Mta), as of November 10, 2026. Installed capacity is the most cement a company's plants could make in a year. It is not actual production. Dangote produced 27.5 million tonnes in 2025 against 55.0 million tonnes of capacity, about 53% utilisation. Africa has large cement overcapacity, so capacity and production differ widely.

Each row is an Africa-facing operating company as it reports itself. Ultimate parent groups are not consolidated into single rows, because Heidelberg Materials, Holcim Ltd and Huaxin Cement publish no audited Africa total. Their African subsidiaries are ranked separately where they report figures. Added together, Heidelberg's verified African subsidiaries alone total more than 24 million tonnes, which would rank second if consolidated. That is stated here so the ranking cannot mislead.

Grinding plants count, because they produce cement. Clinker-only capacity does not count and is flagged wherever a source mixes the two. Planned or announced capacity is never counted. Only commissioned capacity as of November 10, 2026 is used. That excludes BUA's expansion to about 20 million tonnes, HBM Nigeria's expansion to about 14 million tonnes, PPC's RK3 plant, Bamburi's Matuga plant, Titan Egypt's expansion and Ghacem's Kumasi plant.

Three producers tie at 12.0 million tonnes: Suez Cement Group, National Cement Company and CIMAF. They are effectively tied. The order reflects source strength, not a measured gap. Suez states "more than 12", National Cement Company states exactly 12, and CIMAF's figure is approximate.

The weakest figures, in order, are CIMAF at about 12.0, Suez Cement Group at 12.0 and West China Cement at 14.0. CIMAF publishes no group total. Its figure rests on trade press and a plant by plant count. Suez Cement Group's last dated company total is from 2014, though a current Egyptian government page repeats "more than 12 million tonnes", and a Heidelberg group table implies about 11.5 million tonnes on a nameplate basis. West China Cement's own headline total is 14.0 million tonnes, but the plant components listed in the same presentation sum to about 15.9 million tonnes. We use the company's headline total, not our sum, and disclose the gap here.

Sephaku Cement of South Africa, at 2.8 million tonnes, is not listed separately. Dangote Cement owns 64% of Sephaku and consolidates it, so its capacity sits inside Dangote's 55.0 million tonne total. Bamburi Cement's former Ugandan arm, Hima Cement, was sold to Sarrai Group in 2023 and is not part of Bamburi. Devki Group of Kenya was excluded because its public figures are clinker tonnes, not cement tonnes, and no publishable cement total exists.

Figure vintages: Dangote, 31 December 2025; BUA, end 2024 and full year 2025; West China Cement, June 2026; Holcim Maroc, full year 2024; Suez Cement Group, 2014 with a current repeat; National Cement Company, 2018 inauguration with a current company statement; CIMAF, 2016 trade press with 2026 plant updates; PPC, 2025; HBM Nigeria, February 2026; Holcim Egypt, August 2026. The ranking was published on November 10, 2026.