Africa’s protective concrete coatings market is expected to continue expanding in the short- and medium-term fueled by increasing demand for concrete batching plants and high quality concrete for the region’s booming construction industry, especially in key economies such as Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, Angola and Ethiopia.

The promising concrete coatings market growth is hinged on the huge strides being made in the construction industry as public and private investments continue to increase in tandem with the region’s economic expansion.

It is estimated that by June 2016 more than 286 infrastructure key projects worth $324 billion were at different phases of implementation Africa, which in turn has triggered a surge in demand for concrete making facilities and various aesthetic and protective coatings for concrete structures and pavements.

Growth is also expected for protective coatings for water and wastewater asset protection, flooring solutions for both residential and commercial structures, water proofing and a wide range of grouting solutions.

Consultancy firm Deloitte Africa, which says in its ‘Construction Trends 2016’ report the 286 projects underway in the continent are those that had broken ground by June 2016 each with a value of more than $50 million. The report singled out West Africa and Southern Africa as the regions with the highest number of construction projects, probably an indicator of where Africa’s largest share of the protective concrete coatings market is likely to be in the medium term.

Although Deloitte said the economy of Nigeria has been contracting while that of South Africa and Angola have remained static and that only Kenya has continued on a growth trajectory, the four economies are nevertheless implementing some of the largest infrastructure projects in the continent, hence opening more opportunities for protective concrete coatings solutions.

Elsewhere, global market research and consulting firm 6Wresearch, said in its latest report the number of dry and wet mix concrete making plants in Africa is set to increase to $35.6 million in coming years driven mainly by the expanding construction industry.

“In Africa, concrete batching plants with medium capacity accounted for majority of the market volume share due to increased construction activities and wide usage across various infrastructural projects,” said 6Wresearch.

Production of protective concrete coatings for applications such as architectural structures, road sealing, parking, decorative flooring and also primers are expected to meet demands of the expanding infrastructure development.

“Medium capacity concrete batching plant market is expected to maintain its market dominance throughout the forecast period in-terms of market volumes,” added the report.

Even in rural Africa where infrastructure projects are limited both in size and value, the report said there is likely to be low capacity use of batching plant and which will contribute to the overall continental growth.

“Amongst all the verticals, the infrastructure vertical accounts for key share in the overall Africa batching plant market. Buildings are the other key revenue contributing vertical,” it said.

The demand for manufacture and supply of traffic deck coatings, which make it possible for transport infrastructure such as roads to withstand demand of vehicular traffic and adverse atmospheric conditions, is likely to grow because of the increasing public and private investment in the Africa’s transport sector.

In East Africa, where Deloitte estimated 43 projects worth $27.4 billion to be underway, the transport sector tops the list of economic segments with the largest investment commitments from both the public and private sector.

“The transport sector accounts for the greatest share of projects, with 15 road and bridges projects currently underway,” Deloitte said in its November 2016 report.

A similar trend prevails in Southern Africa where “transport projects recorded the third largest share (of the region’s total projects) at 20 percent.”

In Central Africa the report said: “Transport projects dominate the construction sector in Central Africa with 41.7 percent of projects.”

Nigeria, which has the largest infrastructure development projects underway in West Africa valued at $72.9 billion, “has embarked on a number of large transport projects with road and bridge totaling $8 billion,” according to Deloitte.

Consumption of architectural wall and decorative floor coatings segments are also set to post positive growth to coincide with the anticipated expansion of Africa’s real estate market.

Analysts see a bright future for Africa’s real estate sector driven mainly by the fast-growing young population in the region, an expanding industrialization sector, which is fueling growth in retail sector and the high urbanization rate that is expected to reach 56 percent by 2050.

London-based independent real estate consultancy firm Knight Frank recently said: “A growing volume of capital is targeted at Sub-Saharan Africa real estate investment and development, with a series of new investment vehicles being launched in recent years.”

“The retail property sector continues to be a major focus for development activity, causing the shopping mall concept to take root in an increasingly wide range of Sub-Saharan cities,” said the agency. 

The agency said Kenya’s capital, Nairobi “has been a retail development hotspot over the last two years, highlighted by the opening of the Two Rivers Mall, Garden City Mall and The Hub Karen.”

In April, market analyst Frost & Sullivan predicted a 6.7 percent market growth for decorative paints and coatings in Kenya and Tanzania “driven by urban migration, supportive government policies, and a movement towards cleaner technology.”

“The markets will also benefit from the high urban migration projected in the two countries, which will increase the demand for residential and commercial buildings and; subsequently, for decorative paints and coatings,” the analyst said.

According to Ashley Arumero, Frost & Sullivan Visionary Science Research Analyst: “The Kenyan market outpaced the Tanzanian market in 2015, primarily due to its more suitably established manufacturing industry and development of ports to facilitate raw material imports.”

Arumero said the lower maturity of the paint manufacturing industry in Tanzania “has eased the entry barriers for potential participants.”

Global protective concrete coatings maker Sika Corporation in June 2017 announced the opening of a concrete admixtures factory in Tanzania to meet the increasing demand for the product in East Africa’s second largest economy and becoming the first company to manufacture the products in the country.

“Plans are already being made to add a mortar products manufacturing line,” the company said in a statement.

Sika said its objective is to establish a supply chain for the Tanzanian market as it positions itself to “benefit from planned investments in infrastructure.”

Paul Schuler, regional manager EMEA and designated CEO said the plant located in Tanzanian capital Dar es Salaam comes at a time when the country, with an estimated 50 million people, is experiencing growth on infrastructure development and the company “intends to supply our products to these projects.”

In South Africa, where Sika is one of the major construction chemical manufacturers, Frost & Sullivan previously said: “The demand for concrete protection products is growing faster than the supply of the products in South Africa.”

It said the largest application area will remain the infrastructural segment with BASF, Stoncor and Mapei topping the list of manufacturers and suppliers of protective concrete coatings.

An increase in infrastructure development especially of the transport sector and residential and commercial buildings driven mainly be the anticipated surge of the region’s economic growth promises to open up the huge market opportunities for Africa’s concrete coatings products.