New cement brand launched as rivalry hots up in market

Dar es Salaam. Mbeya Cement Company yesterday launched its new cement brand.

It has come at a time when a new player has entered the market.

But Mbeya Cement, which trades as Tembo, played down assumptions that the entry of the new company into the market will harm the existing firms.

It noted that innovation would drive the firm’s competitiveness despite a heightened rivalry by the coming of the new local manufacturer and smuggled imports.

Without naming the name of the new entrant into the market, it is understood that the Dangote Group has launched a cement factory in Mtwara.

“Innovation is a weapon that will enable us to survive in an increasingly competitive market,” said Lafarge Tanzania chief Executive officer Catherine Langreney, at an event to launch the firm’s new cement product, TemboSupaSet, in the city yesterday. Mbeya Cement is the subsidiary of Lafarge. Ms Langreney, however, said the coming of new competitors in the industry was likely to affect the whole industry in line with the price as the supply was also likely to increase. But, that should not be termed as a threat but a healthy competition that’s calling for innovative solutions if the company is to survive, according to her.

She said Mbeya Cement’s great worry was on smuggled imports. She urged the government to intervene.

Lafarge Tanzania marketing and communications director Allan Chonjo, said TemboSupaSet cement brand was aimed at meeting demands of block-making and concrete-market segments of the construction industry.

“TemboSupaset is the result of a careful research and development exercise by our cement technical experts and is a specially formulated Portland Composite Cement.”

engineered to meet the fast-setting requirements of block makers.”

Ms Langreney said: “The value of the Tanzania construction industry is estimated at $3 billion, 8.6 per cent of the GDP.”