Signs of construction picking up

Lusaka’s largest aggregate producer has invested in new equipment to double its capacity – a sign that construction is picking up. “Development is happening in Zambia. The road development, which is largely donor-funded, is slow at the moment but it should pick up over time. But there are buildings going up all the time and I predict excellent economic growth there in the future,” says Pilot Crushtec’s Africa sales manager, Wayne Warren. The Scirocco quarry near the Zambian capital presently produces around 1 500 tons of aggregate a day, and will double output through the purchase of new Pilot Crushtec machines, according to Scirocco Enterprises managing director Moustafa Saadi. Established in 1981 as Oriental Quarries and Concrete Blocks, Scirocco started with predominantly second-hand equipment, but has grown to the point where it is a leading supplier of aggregates for the construction industry, road building contractors and for concrete blocks and ready mixed concrete in the Lusaka region, according to the company.