• Zimbabwe is developing a national cement decarbonisation roadmap with the Climate Technology Centre and Network to improve energy efficiency, emissions management and industrial competitiveness
• PPC Zimbabwe increased cement volumes by 18.2% in FY2026, while revenue grew 14.3% to R3.57 billion and EBITDA reached R961 million
• Cleaner production could lower long-term manufacturing costs, but Zimbabwe's cement producers face substantial investment requirements in machinery, alternative fuels, electricity and production technology

Harare-  Zimbabwe is advancing plans to decarbonise its cement industry as manufacturers confront the competing demands of expanding production, reducing electricity costs and modernising ageing industrial equipment, with the proposed national roadmap introducing a new investment challenge for one of the country's most important construction-related industries.

Industry and Commerce Minister Nqobizitha Ndlovu confirmed at the COMESA Green Industries Connect Conference in Harare on 19 October 2026 that Government is working with the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) to develop a National Decarbonisation Roadmap for cement manufacturing, alongside opportunities for cleaner production in steel and mineral processing.

The initiative arrives as domestic cement producers seek to improve profitability and manufacturing capacity following years of electricity shortages, high operating costs and fluctuating demand. Its significance extends beyond reducing emissions, as more efficient industrial processes could lower production costs and strengthen the competitiveness of Zimbabwean cement against imported alternatives.

Zimbabwe's cement industry has an estimated installed capacity of approximately 2.6 million tonnes annually, compared with domestic demand of about 1.6 million tonnes, according to the CTCN's assessment published in 2024. The figures indicate that the country's challenge has not simply been insufficient installed capacity, but also the reliability, efficiency and commercial competitiveness of existing production facilities.

Despite that capacity, Zimbabwe has experienced periods of cement shortages and price increases, illustrating how installed machinery does not necessarily translate into consistent market supply. Equipment failures, electricity interruptions, maintenance requirements and disruptions to production can reduce effective output well below the theoretical capacity of factories.

The national roadmap, initiated through technical assistance requested in 2024 and supported by the European Union, seeks to identify technologies, policy measures and updated industry standards capable of reducing emissions from cement and concrete production. It also envisages monitoring and verification arrangements to track progress.

PPC Zimbabwe provides a useful commercial reference for the policy. During the financial year ended March 2026, cement sales volumes increased by 18.2%, while revenue advanced 14.3% to R3.57 billion. EBITDA rose 13% to R961 million, reflecting the recovery in production and demand.

However, the company's EBITDA margin eased from 27.2% to 26.9% despite stronger volumes, suggesting that higher throughput did not translate into proportional gains in operating profitability. The result illustrates the importance of managing energy, maintenance and other production costs even during periods of commercial expansion.

Cash generation nevertheless strengthened considerably. PPC Zimbabwe reported net cash inflow before financing activities of US$37.6 million, compared with US$16.8 million in the previous year, while cash dividends increased from US$13 million to US$36 million.

These figures demonstrate improving financial capacity within an established manufacturer, creating a stronger basis for evaluating investments in cleaner and more efficient production technologies.

PPC's environmental performance also offers evidence that emissions improvements can accompany operational optimisation. Its FY2025 sustainability disclosures show that emissions intensity in Zimbabwe declined from 733 to 707 kilograms of carbon dioxide per tonne of cement, a reduction of approximately 3.5%.

The improvement was supported partly by greater use of cement extenders, which reduce the amount of clinker required to produce a tonne of finished cement.

Clinker is the intermediate material produced by heating limestone and other minerals at high temperatures. Its manufacture accounts for a substantial share of cement emissions because carbon dioxide is released during the chemical conversion of limestone, while additional emissions arise from the fuel used to heat the kiln.

This distinction makes cement more difficult to decarbonise than industries whose emissions arise mainly from purchased electricity. Installing solar panels can reduce electricity-related costs and emissions, but it does not eliminate the carbon dioxide released directly during clinker production.

Lowering the clinker content of cement therefore presents an important near-term opportunity, provided alternative materials meet applicable construction standards and remain consistently available.

PPC's reported 26-kilogram reduction in carbon dioxide per tonne of cement illustrates the potential scale. Applied to an illustrative production volume of one million tonnes, an equivalent improvement would avoid approximately 26,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually, assuming comparable production conditions. This is a scenario demonstrating the significance of emissions intensity, not a reported reduction in PPC's absolute emissions.

The economics of decarbonisation become more complex when manufacturers consider major equipment upgrades. Modern kilns, waste-heat recovery systems, alternative-fuel handling facilities and advanced emissions controls require substantial upfront capital, while their financial returns depend on energy savings, plant utilisation and the cost of financing.

Investment requirements will differ considerably between factories. A relatively modern plant may achieve meaningful savings through process optimisation, while an older production line could require extensive refurbishment before comparable efficiency improvements become possible.

Zimbabwe's producers, including PPC, Khayah Cement and Livetouch, operate within different technological and financial circumstances. Consequently, a national investment estimate cannot be reliably derived from installed capacity alone without detailed factory-level assessments.

A credible roadmap should establish the cost of each available intervention, expected reductions in energy consumption and emissions, implementation timelines and the commercial return manufacturers could generate from adopting the technology.

Regional experience demonstrates that such investment can form part of a broader competitiveness strategy. South African cement producers have increasingly pursued clinker substitution, operational efficiency and renewable energy initiatives to reduce production costs and environmental exposure.

PPC's wider group has advanced renewable energy projects across its operations, while its Zimbabwean business has demonstrated the potential for lower emissions intensity through changes in product composition.

However, South Africa's experience also illustrates the importance of market conditions. Cleaner cement remains commercially viable only when construction companies accept the products, standards permit their use and manufacturers can price them competitively.

Zimbabwe's cement industry faces similar challenges. Construction demand is supported by infrastructure development, residential building and commercial investment, but buyers remain sensitive to price, product availability and consistent quality.

Where cleaner technologies increase production costs without delivering corresponding savings or market advantages, companies may struggle to justify the investment, particularly under expensive financing conditions.

That makes the structure of industrial finance central to the transition. Long-term capital, concessional facilities and targeted investment incentives could support commercially viable projects, but financing arrangements must reflect actual energy savings and expected operating cash flows.

At the same COMESA meeting, Ndlovu proposed a regional Circular Economy Fund that could potentially support cleaner manufacturing equipment and resource recovery. The proposed facility has not yet been established, and no capital commitments or lending terms have been announced.

Even so, a coordinated approach to industrial financing could help manufacturers overcome the initial costs of modernisation while strengthening compliance with emerging environmental standards.

Cement decarbonisation also has implications for Zimbabwe's wider economy. Lower manufacturing costs could support more competitive pricing for construction materials, reducing expenses associated with housing, infrastructure and industrial development.

Stronger domestic competitiveness could improve factory utilisation and preserve employment across cement production, transport, quarrying, maintenance and distribution. It could also reduce dependence on imported cement where domestic producers can supply the market reliably and economically.

Yet emissions reduction cannot be separated from industrial performance. Factories must remain financially sustainable, generate adequate returns on investment and meet the quality requirements of the construction sector.

Zimbabwe's roadmap should therefore prioritise interventions according to their measurable economic and environmental value, beginning with efficiency improvements and clinker substitution before progressing towards more capital-intensive technologies.

PPC's recent recovery demonstrates that domestic cement manufacturing can improve output, cash generation and operating performance. Its environmental disclosures also show that reductions in emissions intensity are achievable without abandoning industrial expansion.

The challenge facing Zimbabwe is converting those individual improvements into a coordinated national programme that strengthens manufacturing competitiveness while reducing the industry's environmental burden.

Success will depend less on the publication of another industrial strategy than on the investment it mobilises, the production costs it reduces and the efficiency improvements achieved across operating factories.

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