CIMAF Mali, part of the CIMAF Group (Ciments de l’Afrique), started the construction of a second cement grinding plant in Natien, a village located in the Sikasso region at the border triangle to Burkina Faso and the Ivory Coast. The first grinding plant (photo), which has been inaugurated in 2026 has a capacity of 0.5 Mta. The new plant shall have a capacity of 1.0 Mta, expandable to 2.0 Mta later and generate at least 300 direct jobs and 2,000 indirect jobs. The completion time is set at 23 months, with February 2026 as the planned start-up date.