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PPC - UNSHAKEABLE FOR 130 YEARS
THE EVOLUTION OF GREEN CEMENT Investment in infrastructure is crucial for South Africa’s and Africa’s socioeconomic development. IMIESA talks to Njombo Lekula, Managing Director, PPC RSA, about the company’s visionar y role in ensuring sustainable capacity while steadily transitioning to a net-zero future. Njombo Lekula, Managing Director, PPC RSA
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IMIESA June 2022
How is PPC responding to the quest for sustainability? NL We’ve taken the decision to lead by example within the African continent where we operate. We’re well placed to do this, as South Africa’s largest Portland cement producer, as we celebrate our 130th year in business in 2022. We have a substantial footprint, with 11 cement factories in South Africa, and operations in Botswana, the DRC, Ethiopia, Rwanda and Zimbabwe. We need to understand the challenges posed by climate change and respond meaningfully within the context of Africa’s development agenda. This was a key motivation for the compilation of the inaugural PPC|GIBS Building Africa Report 2022, an overview of which was presented at the African Smart Cities Summit in June 2022. Climate change is a reality, as is the pressing need to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals. In a world of rapid change, PPC recognises the need to respond proactively within our spheres of operation, while remaining relevant and profitable. The PPC|GIBS report addresses the realities of and opportunities for achieving carbon neutrality within an evolving market for cement on the continent.
What are some of the key highlights in the report? Essentially, the report – compiled in conjunction with GIBS’s Centre for African Management and Markets – is futuristic and looks beyond cement to consider what sustainable and smart construction will look like for the next generation. The full report (which can be downloaded at www.ppc.africa) sets the scene with an overview of the major players in the African cement market. Other points considered include the growth potential for African infrastructure, the African Continental Free Trade Area, the legislative environment, funding mechanisms and the need for inclusivity. There are also fascinating case studies using hybrid concrete. Africa is a vast continent of 55 countries and more than 2 000 living languages, which makes it a complex trading environment. As highlighted in the report, investment in African infrastructure has remained constant, at just over 3.5% over the past decade. By comparison, China’s spend is more than double that percentage. Even more revealing, cement consumption in China between 2011 and 2013 was greater than that consumed by the USA in the entire 20th century. So, for Africa to catch up, there needs to be a major ramping-up and far greater collaboration. That includes reducing
