Shayona shines at Malawi Investment Forum
By Chiku Jere
Fastest growing cement producer, Shayona Cement Corporation, hogged the limelight at this year’s Malawi Investment Forum where it showcased its products and attracted many visitors at its pavilion including the country’s Head of State, President Peter Mutharika.
Shayona, who have invested big in Kasungu Rural East’s Mwimila Village T/A Wimbe with state-of-the-art cement and clinker manufacturing plants, cherished the moment of the President’s visit, with the company’s Operations Manager Prajeesh Padmanabhan describing it as humbling, at the same time, encouraging experience.
It was really uplifting to have the President at our pavilion where he appreciated the role we play as providers of cement products as well as creators of job opportunities for over 1200 Malawians. He was particularly impressed with our Thanthwe cement. He said it was very encouraging for a local manufacturer to produce a 42.5R cement, matching that on the international market,
Padmanabhan said.
He said the momentary interaction with the Malawi leader afforded them an opportunity to present challenges Shayona is facing in the course of doing business, particularly the influx of cement imports into the country, which, he said, is gravely choking the growth of the local industry.
As Shayona we believe that with His Excellency Professor Peter Mutharika’s able leadership, the government will do something to protect the local cement industry, which is still in its infancy,
he said.
The company did not hatch any out-right deals at the forum but Padmanabhan was optimistic that through other deals and proposed projects showcased at the Forum, Shayona will find a huge market for its products.
The Corporation produces three types of cement namely: Thanthwe Portland Cement 42.5R, branded ‘the ultimate cement’ which is used in construction of vital structures such as dams, bridges, flyovers, airports, railways and skyscrapers; buildplast, designed for plaster, tilt slab substrates, blockwork and brickwork and Akshar Portland Cement 32.5N, a multipurpose and high performance product which is also suitable for heavy duty construction.
Established in 1997, Shayona Cement Corporation started with a mini struggling cement manufacturing plant; producing just a little above 80 tons of cement per day, to become a signature cement manufacturing plant, with modern equipment.
The corporation has just completed a massive US$50million (about MK36billion) phase II expansion project at its Kasungu factory, a development that will translate into increased clinker production by 800 tons per day, over and above the current 400 tons per day, resulting in a total of 1200 tons per day tons.
According to the company, another 600 tons of production is expected to be added in the phase III of their expansion plan to be carried out in the next 6-months.
By year 2020, Shayona plans to complete phase IV of its expansion project, which foresees an increased cement production capacity to a total of 3000 tons per day, subsequently making the company one of the biggest cement producers in this Africa region.
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This piece was initially published in Malawi’s Mining & Trade Review Issue Number 63 (July 2018).
The full edition is available for download here. This monthly publication is edited by Marcel Chimwala.
