Cheetah Cement Botswana is advancing plans to build a dry-process cement manufacturing plant near Matabele in Kgatleng, a facility designed with an annual production capacity of 800,000 tonnes to help close the gap between domestic construction demand and imported building materials.
Utilizing Industrial by-Products to Reduce Import Reliance
The proposed 19-hectare industrial site near Matabele will utilize a dry-process manufacturing method, which uses less thermal energy than older wet methods to help manage power supply and cost pressures as reported by Cabanga. The project distinguishes itself by incorporating industrial by-products as raw inputs, specifically utilizing fly ash captured from coal-fired power stations like Morupule and nickel slag from Matsiloje. By integrating these waste streams, the operation converts material liabilities into cementitious inputs while reducing reliance on imported raw materials. Industry reporting notes that a workforce of about 515 positions is notable for one manufacturing plant in Botswana, a country where factory jobs have historically lagged behind mining employment. The headline number is capacity, and at 800,000 tonnes a year, the plant is a serious industrial bet rather than a token expansion. Cement demand tracks construction, and construction tracks an economy’s ambition, supporting roads, housing, commercial property, and the water and power infrastructure a diversifying state needs.
Expanding Domestic Cement Production Reach in Gaborone
Earlier project documentation indicated that 80 per cent of production from the facility would be bagged, with the remaining 20 per cent dispatched in bulk. The investment forms part of an expansion strategy by Cheetah Cement Botswana, a subsidiary of Namibia-based Whale Rock Cement. As reported by the Sunday Standard newspaper, the planned Gaborone facility will broaden Cheetah Cement’s production reach and boost domestic availability of cement required for housing, commercial buildings, and infrastructure works.
Visiting the Matsiloje Production Facility for Investment Talks
The proposed investment was highlighted during a familiarisation visit by Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC) Chief Executive Officer Keletsositse Olebile and members of his management team to the company’s existing production facility in Matsiloje as detailed by Yourbotswana. The delegation was received by Cheetah Cement’s newly appointed CEO, Mr Wang, who briefed leadership on operational performance, growth prospects, and investment challenges. Having commenced operations in 2021, the company reported improved performance in 2026 after navigating initial hurdles and currently employs 41 Batswana while contributing to community development through corporate social responsibility initiatives. The project was originally announced in 2025 and described again by BITC in March 2026.
During the engagement, Keletsositse Olebile emphasized the importance of strengthening local value chains through domestic material sourcing and reaffirmed BITC’s commitment to facilitating the resolution of outstanding regulatory and infrastructure challenges, Yourbotswana noted. BITC previously estimated that construction of the facility would create 515 jobs, followed by 120 permanent positions Cemnet reported, while the project would expand the local supply of cement used in housing, commercial developments, and infrastructure projects Globalcement stated. The latest update does not provide a construction start or commissioning date, while BITC noted that regulatory and infrastructure constraints still require attention, and the plant’s clinker supply arrangements have not yet been disclosed.