Cheetah Cement plans 800,000-tonne Gaborone plant
The expansion could boost domestic cement production and reduce reliance on imports.
Cheetah Cement plans to build a new manufacturing plant in Gaborone with an annual capacity of 800,000 tonnes. The company highlighted this expansion during a visit from the Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC) to its existing Matsiloje facility. Cheetah Cement, which began operations in 2021, currently employs 41 Batswana.
Newly appointed chief executive Wang briefed the BITC delegation, led by chief executive Keletsositse Olebile, on the company's performance and challenges. Olebile reaffirmed BITC's commitment to assisting Cheetah Cement with regulatory and infrastructure hurdles. The agency also stressed the importance of investment aftercare for established businesses.
This proposed plant aligns with government efforts to diversify Botswana's economy beyond diamonds and create private-sector jobs. Increased local cement production could improve supply reliability and offer competition to imported products. The plant's ultimate impact depends on implementation, production costs, and competitiveness.
Why it mattersThe proposed Gaborone plant aims to increase domestic cement production, potentially lowering costs for construction projects and reducing the need for imports.