Twiga Cement
A Tanzanian cement manufacturer and listed company whose Twiga brand serves the country's construction market.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Twiga Cement is the operating and commercial identity of Tanzania Portland Cement Public Limited Company, a cement manufacturer based in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The company is associated with its Wazo Hill plant on the Dar es Salaam–Bagamoyo Road, roughly 18 kilometres northwest of central Dar es Salaam. Its principal business is the manufacture and sale of Portland cement for building and infrastructure projects in Tanzania. The company traces its origins to 1959, when Tanzania Portland Cement Company was established as a joint venture involving Cementia AG of Switzerland and the Tanzanian government. Production began in the mid-1960s, and the company became the first manufacturer to produce cement in Tanzania in 1966. Its ownership subsequently changed several times. The Tanzanian government increased its stake in 1967, nationalized the company in 1973, and later began returning it to private ownership through sales to international investors in the 1990s. The business was re-privatized in 1998, and the government ultimately divested its remaining holding through a public offering on the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange in 2006. Twiga Cement is publicly traded under the symbol TWIGA and has been included in the Tanzania All Share Index. Since at least 2020, it has been identified as a member of the Heidelberg Materials group, connecting the Tanzanian business with one of the world's major building-materials companies. The local company continues to operate as a Tanzanian listed entity while benefiting from its relationship with the international group. The product portfolio described in public reference material includes three Portland cement brands: Twiga Ordinary, Twiga Plus+ and Twiga Extra. These products give the company a branded route to market across common construction applications, although detailed technical specifications and current packaging information are not established in the supplied sources. A plant expansion completed in 2014 increased annual manufacturing capacity to approximately 1.9 million tonnes. Publicly reported company information for 2018 recorded total assets of TSh 322.76 billion, shareholders' equity of TSh 224.94 billion and 285 employees; these figures are historical and should not be treated as current financial or workforce data. Twiga Cement's market role is grounded in local manufacturing, established distribution, and recognition in Tanzania's cement sector. Its brand identity combines the corporate name of Tanzania Portland Cement with the Twiga name used on retail cement products. The company's precise current management structure, website, product specifications, ownership percentages and financial performance require verification from recent company filings or the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange.
History
Tanzania Portland Cement Company was established in 1959 as a joint venture between Cementia AG of Switzerland and the government of Tanzania. The original arrangement gave Cementia an 80 percent interest and the Tanzanian government, through the Tanzania Development Corporation, a 20 percent interest. The company began producing cement in the middle of the 1960s and made its first bag in 1966, marking the beginning of Tanzania's domestic cement-manufacturing industry. It is described in reference material as the first company in Tanzania to manufacture cement. The ownership structure changed during the period following independence. In 1967, the Tanzanian government increased its shareholding to 50 percent. The company was fully nationalized in 1973, placing all ownership under the Tanzanian state. During the 1990s, the government began a gradual return to private participation. In 1992, it sold 13 percent stakes to Scancem International ANS of Norway and Swedfund International AB of Sweden, while retaining the balance. The company was re-privatized in 1998 as part of the broader restructuring and divestment of state-owned enterprises. Twiga Cement's manufacturing base is located at Wazo Hill, along the road connecting Dar es Salaam with Bagamoyo. The site is approximately 18 kilometres northwest of central Dar es Salaam and places the company near Tanzania's largest commercial and industrial market. The plant has been the core of the company's production and distribution system. A capacity expansion completed in 2014 raised annual manufacturing capacity to about 1.9 million tonnes, strengthening the company's ability to supply the Tanzanian construction market. In 2006, the Tanzanian government completed its divestment by floating its remaining shareholding on the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange. The company trades under the symbol TWIGA and has been included in the Tanzania All Share Index. This listing made Twiga Cement both a consumer-facing cement brand and a publicly traded Tanzanian industrial company. By 2020, Twiga Cement was identified as a member of the Heidelberg Materials group. The group relationship placed the company within a global building-materials network while retaining its local manufacturing and listed-company identity. The business markets several Portland cement brands, including Twiga Ordinary, Twiga Plus+ and Twiga Extra. Public reference material for 2018 reported historical assets of TSh 322.76 billion, shareholders' equity of TSh 224.94 billion and a workforce of 285 people. Those figures describe the company at that time only; current financial and operating data are not established by the supplied material. The available reference material does not provide a complete account of subsequent plant investments, recent leadership changes, current ownership percentages, distribution arrangements or the present product specification of each cement grade. These areas should be updated from company disclosures, current exchange filings and Heidelberg Materials publications.
- 2020
Identified as part of Heidelberg Materials
[1]Reference material identified Twiga Cement as a member of the Heidelberg Materials group.
- 2014
Manufacturing capacity expansion
[1]An expansion increased annual factory capacity to approximately 1.9 million tonnes.
- 2006
Public listing and state divestment
[1]The Tanzanian government floated its remaining ownership on the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange. The shares trade under TWIGA.
- 1998
Re-privatization
[1]The company underwent re-privatization after the state-led ownership period.
- 1992
International investors acquire minority stakes
[1]Scancem International ANS and Swedfund International AB each acquired a 13 percent interest from the Tanzanian government.
- 1973
Nationalization
[1]The company was nationalized and became fully owned by the Tanzanian government.
- 1967
Government increases ownership
[1]The Tanzanian government increased its ownership interest to 50 percent.
- 1966
First cement production
[1]The company produced its first bag of cement and became the first reported cement manufacturer in Tanzania.
- 1959
Company established
[1]Tanzania Portland Cement Company was formed as a joint venture between Cementia AG of Switzerland and the Tanzanian government.
Products and positioning
A major Tanzanian cement producer positioned around local manufacturing, established market presence and a portfolio of Portland cement products for general construction and infrastructure use.
Portland cement
Twiga Ordinary
Twiga Ordinary is one of the company's named Portland cement brands. It is presented as part of the core Twiga portfolio for routine cement purchasing and general construction use. The supplied reference material does not specify its applicable strength class, standards certification, mix guidance, packaging formats or current availability.
Portland cement
Twiga Plus+
Twiga Plus+ is a branded Portland cement product in the Twiga Cement range. Its name indicates a differentiated product position within the portfolio, but the available source does not establish precise technical properties, intended applications, strength performance or launch date. Current specifications should be confirmed through company product documentation.
Portland cement
Twiga Extra
Twiga Extra is the third named Portland cement brand associated with Twiga Cement. It forms part of the company's branded offering for the Tanzanian construction market. Public material supplied for this dossier does not provide verified details on its formulation, technical grade, recommended uses, packaging or current distribution.
Brand decisions
2014
Expand annual cement-making capacityStrategyBackground
The company operated from its Wazo Hill manufacturing site while serving Tanzania's expanding construction-materials market.
Action taken
A plant expansion increased stated annual manufacturing capacity to approximately 1.9 million tonnes.
Aftermath
The expansion strengthened the scale of the company's domestic production platform. The supplied sources do not quantify subsequent utilization or financial results.
2006
Complete state divestment through stock-market flotationStrategyBackground
After the company's earlier nationalization and later re-privatization, the Tanzanian government still held an ownership interest.
Action taken
The government floated its remaining shareholding on the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange.
Aftermath
Twiga Cement became a publicly traded Tanzanian company under the symbol TWIGA and was included in the Tanzania All Share Index.
Sources1 sources
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