PPC Zimbabwe has declared a total of US$25 million in dividends to shareholders during the five months to August 31, 2026, as improved plant performance and higher own-clinker production strengthened the cement producer’s profitability, Mining Zimbabwe can report.
By Rudairo Mapuranga
The company declared US$15 million in dividends during the five-month period and approved a further US$10 million dividend after August.
The latest payout follows a US$36 million dividend paid to PPC Limited by the Zimbabwe business in 2025, highlighting the contribution of the local operation to the South African-listed cement group.
PPC said the improvement in its Zimbabwe operation was supported by its Plant Performance Improvement Plan, with the business recording an EBITDA margin of 34.2 percent, up from 19.1 percent in the comparable period.
For Zimbabwe’s mining and industrial minerals sector, the increase in own-clinker production is significant because clinker is the key intermediate material produced by processing limestone and other raw materials before it is ground into cement.
PPC said higher own-clinker production was translating directly into improved profitability, while its Colleen Bawn kiln achieved what the group described as world-class operating performance during the first quarter of FY27.
The improvement points to the growing importance of domestic mineral extraction and processing in supporting Zimbabwe’s cement industry, particularly through the use of locally sourced limestone and increased processing efficiency.
PPC Zimbabwe remains debt-free, while the group continues to assess opportunities to expand its production capacity in the country.
The Zimbabwe business also recorded a three percent increase in cement sales volumes during the period. Group revenue from Zimbabwe increased by five percent, while a two percent decline in cement revenue from South Africa and Botswana weighed on the wider regional performance.
PPC is also progressing plans for a proposed new integrated cement plant in Zimbabwe.
The group said it is engaging Sinoma on an engineering, procurement and construction contract, while mine prospecting and assessments of financing alternatives are continuing.
The mine prospecting component could have implications for the country’s industrial minerals sector, as the proposed integrated operation would require secure and reliable access to the raw materials needed for clinker production.
PPC, however, cautioned that a maintenance shutdown at the Colleen Bawn plant will moderate margins during the first half of FY27.
The shutdown comes as the company works to maintain the reliability of its kiln assets, following the improved operating performance recorded at the plant.
Despite the expected near-term impact of the maintenance programme, PPC said profitability for the business is expected to remain ahead of the prior year.
The latest performance places greater emphasis on clinker production, plant reliability and access to mineral resources as key drivers of Zimbabwe’s cement manufacturing competitiveness.
With PPC continuing to assess a new integrated plant and conduct mine prospecting, developments in the company’s Zimbabwean operations are likely to remain closely linked to the country’s limestone and broader industrial-minerals value chain.
