Dzata Cement, a wholly Ghanaian-owned cement manufacturing business, wins big at the 2022 Ghana Business Standard Awards as Cement Brand of the Year.
The 2022 Ghana Business Standard Awards seeks to celebrate organisations committed to remarkable business standards in their sectors, and industry leaders breaking barriers of excellence across the Ghanaian business region and the world at large.
In an interview with Timothy Ataaya, a staff at Dzata Cement, he mentioned that the company is not surprised by the recent awards as it focuses on providing high-quality but affordable cement products to customers.
“We are not surprised about the award because he (Mr. Ibrahim Mahama) had the vision that gave birth to this cement factory. For over fifty-five years, this industry has been controlled by foreign investors; Dangote only came in to tell us that we as Ghanaians can do it.
“The problems the company identified – which is the quality and affordability of cement coupled with the fact that no Ghanaian is taking an active role in this industry – made us focus on making sure that we bring to the market high-quality cement capable of distinguishing itself.”
He noted that the best aspect is the product quality itself. “Unlike other players in the market, it is only Dzata Cement that produces a cement quality grade called CEM I 42.5R – which is the highest cement grade in Ghana.”
Touted as the first and only fully Ghanaian-owned cement processing factory, Dzata Cement is valued at over US$100million and is located on a 10-acre land near the Tema Port enclave.
“The market entry strategy was to get the products accessible to all; so where ordinarily you might not see other products, Dzata Cement was willing to push – and that is what led to the company’s investment into trucks, just to get into production in other areas,” he said.
The company’s first phase was as a cement bagging plant with a capacity of 1.2mt/yr. The second phase is expected to increase the processing capacity to 2.4mt. Its current bagging capacity is approximately 120 bags of cement per minute.
Dzata Cement has received several accolades for its impact on the local cement industry, as this particular investment should pave the way for investments in industries which otherwise have been dominated only by foreign companies
To boost its product accessibility, the company is conducting regular feasibility studies like nationwide depot operations to create more awareness of its unique quality cement product.
The Awards recognise standard makers, excellence achievers and responsible organisations and individuals who adhere to the local business requirements while consistently improving their organisation’s performance. 43 top companies and individuals in Ghana were recognised.
The Ghana Business Standard Awards (GBSA) provide a platform to encourage the introduction of standard processes, services or products, and the improvement of existing methods or practices to affect positive change in businesses of Ghana.
