The east African cement markets of Uganda, Rwanda, Malawi and Burundi have continued to experience rising levels of cement consumption over recent years with investments in infrastructure and affordable housing. However, the COVID-19 crisis is likely to take its toll on cement consumption growth in 2020.
The east African economies of Uganda, Rwanda, Malawi and Burundi have remained largely stable in the last few years. Over the 2018-19 period, all four countries experienced growth in cement demand, largely attributed to investments in infrastructure and affordable housing. Further advances in cement consumption growth were forecast for 2020, but the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has reached Africa later than other parts of the world, poses a threat to growth this year.
