PPC sponsors business summit in Rwanda
11 Nov 2013

PPC Ltd, the leading cement manufacturer in Southern Africa, and a key investor in Rwanda's only cement producer Cimerwa, sponsored this year's East African Investment Business Summit in Rwanda to help stimulate infrastructure development and investment in the region.
The East African Investment Business Summit, which was hosted by the Rwanda Development Board
(RDB), took place on the 10th and 11th of November.
"Effective infrastructure development needs to be a coordinated across borders and countries and so we are proud to sponsor this event, together with the RDB, to facilitate an East African regional approach to infrastructure development," said Pepe Meijer, PPC International's Managing Director.
The summit is a gathering of stakeholders ranging from government, private and public sectors as well as industry associations with an interest in uncovering and showcasing Africa's potential. It is a
coming together of pioneers and stakeholders interested in sharing the economic success stories of Africa in a country that has consistently demonstrated resilience on both the political and economic fronts against the backdrop of the 1994 genocide.
"Infrastructure development will provide the foundation of the growth into the rest of Africa. With infrastructure comes the ability to trade. The free trade area in East Africa will give companies access to over 200 million people. The stable supply of high quality cement and other building materials will be key in ensuring this infrastructure development." said Meijer.
PPC already has a footprint in Rwanda having purchased 51% in Rwandan cement company Cimerwa for over $69 million at the end of last year. Currently, the plant has a manufacturing capacity of
100,000 tons per annum of which PPC is looking to increase its capacity to around 600,000 tons per annum.
Current demand for cement in Rwanda is estimated at 350'000 tons per annum. Based on Rwanda and the surrounding region's positive economic outlook' regional cement demand is projected to continue to increase for at least the next 10 years.
Rwanda is strategically located in East Africa, sharing borders with the DRC, Uganda, Tanzania and Burundi. According to the World Bank, Rwanda is the third easiest place to do business in Africa. These facts make Rwanda a key location for PPC to continue its expansion in the region and support infrastructure development.

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