Sika opens new production facility in Africa

The company’s aim in establishing a local supply chain in the East African state Tanzania, which has a population of 50 million, is to benefit from planned investments in infrastructure.

Gaining early foothold

Paul Schuler, Regional Manager EMEA and designated CEO: "By  establishing a new concrete admixtures and mortar production plant in the metropolis of Dar es Salaam, we are gaining an early foothold as a local producer in this growth market. In Tanzania, as in other African countries, major infrastructure projects are either in progress or at the planning stage, and we intend to supply our products to these projects. With currently 19 national subsidiaries and 17 factories we have established a comprehensive presence in Africa.”

Growth in construction

The growth in construction in Tanzania is being driven by extensive investments in energy supplies and logistics infrastructure such as port installations and railways. Plans include the building of a 2,200 kilometer rail network and total investments of just under CHF 8 billion. Forecasts indicate that the Tanzanian construction sector is set to grow by just under 7% in 2017 and by 8% a year in the period up to 2025.