Matsiloje Portland Cement could reopen by year end

Matsiloje Portland Cement (MPC), one of only two homegrown cement producers in Botswana, is considering a return to production by the end of the year following its closure in 2018.

Managing Director, Rachit Josh, told BusinessWeek the company was ‘very optimistic’ it could resume operations and was currently in talks with a reputable investor with a view of entering into a partnership to re-open the plant.

"I cannot comment on what the exact situation is regarding the plant, but at this stage we are closed," he said. "However, we are actively seeking an investor and once this is done then we hope to restart the plant by end of this year."

The plant, which is owned by Nortex Textiles, closed in January 2018 due to competition from South African imports. 

MPC had an annual turnover of around BWP20m (US$1.82m) and produced 30,000tpa of cement. The company also produced the lime it used for its cement. It sourced other raw materials from Morupule (fly ash) and South Africa.