Moroccan billionaire Anas Sefrioui has sold his only cement plant in France, marking a strategic exit from Europe and a deeper focus on African markets where his CIMAF network has become one of the continent’s most widespread industrial operations.
- Moroccan billionaire Anas Sefrioui has sold his only cement plant in France, signalling an exit from Europe’s cement market.
- The sale reflects a strategic shift toward focusing on African markets through CIMAF, where demand and growth prospects are stronger.
- Europe’s cement industry faces challenges like rising energy costs, stricter emissions rules, and weaker construction demand, making operations less profitable.
- CIMAF, launched in 2011, now operates across several West and Central African countries, capitalising on rising infrastructure needs.
Moroccan billionaire Anas Sefrioui has sold his only cement plant in France, marking a strategic exit from Europe and a deeper focus on African markets where his CIMAF network has become one of the continent’s most widespread industrial operations.
The sale, reported by Africa Business Plus, reflects a deliberate shift by Sefrioui toward higher-growth African opportunities rather than maintaining a standalone asset in Europe’s increasingly costly cement industry. The divested facility was an integrated cement plant in southern France, held through his cement interests.
The exit highlights broader structural pressures in Europe’s cement sector. Rising energy costs, stricter European Union emissions regulations, and weaker construction demand have all weighed on profitability. Cement production is among the most carbon-intensive industrial processes, and compliance with climate rules has required significant investment, further eroding margins.
Against this backdrop, the French asset became harder to justify compared with CIMAF’s African operations, where demand continues to rise.
CIMAF’s expanding African footprint
Sefrioui launched CIMAF in 2011 and expanded it across West and Central Africa. The network now spans countries including the Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Guinea, Gabon, Burkina Faso, Chad and Congo, according to Billonaires Africa report.
The strategy focuses on markets where infrastructure demand is rising, but local production remains limited. By building plants locally, CIMAF gains cost advantages and early positioning in fast-growing construction markets.
Africa’s long-term cement demand is expected to remain strong, driven by urbanisation, population growth and infrastructure investment. The African Continental Free Trade Area is also expected to boost cross-border trade and construction activity.
Sefrioui built his fortune through Groupe Addoha, a leading affordable housing developer in Morocco. Cement later became a natural extension of that model, supplying materials for large-scale housing and infrastructure projects across Africa. Forbes estimates his net worth at around $1.3 billion in 2026, reflecting shifts in Morocco’s real estate sector amid higher interest rates and softer property demand.
