Cement imports surged by more than 100 percent year-on-year in May 2025, reaching 98,313 tons. The three main source countries remained Vietnam, Mozambique, and Namibia. Although imports from Vietnam declined compared to April, imports from Mozambique and Namibia increased by an average of 5.5 percent month-on-month and between 60 percent and 90 percent year-on-year. Despite the monthly decline, Vietnam still accounted for more than 80 percent of total imports in May, with shipments entering South Africa through Durban, Port Elizabeth, and Cape Town. Notably, 13 percent of total imports from Vietnam entered via Cape Town during the first five months of 2025, up from an average of 8 percent in 2024. Vietnam is increasingly posing a competitive threat to the Western Cape market, while rising imports from Mozambique and Namibia are supplying inland regions. Cement imports through Cape Town rose 84 percent year-on-year in the first five months of 2025, compared to a 12 percent increase through Durban and a 9 percent increase through Port Elizabeth…download the latest Cement Trade Statistic Dashboard as at June 2025 here (available to subscribers)
