PPC, in compliance with the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) listings requirements, announced that its group CEO, Ketso Gordhan, has purchased 200 000 shares valued at over R6 million. With his Forfeitable Share Plan allocation earlier this year, this recent investment names Gordhan as one of the top 25 direct (private) beneficial shareholders of PPC. According to Gordhan, his purchase of the shares is an indication of his confidence in the business and especially, its African expansion strategy.

“I see an incredible future for PPC and as the CEO, I need to demonstrate my confidence in achieving PPC’s vision of doubling the size of this business over the next six to seven years,” says Gordhan.

Gordhan joined the cement giant as the Group CEO in January 2013, succeeding Paul Stuiver. In just eight months at the helm, he has committed to boosting PPC’s revenue generated outside of South Africa from the current 20% to at least 40% by 2016. As part of its business strategy to achieve this, PPC announced its plans to establish two new one million-ton-per-year cement plants in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zimbabwe at a cost of $200 million (R1.8 billion) each.

“At the end of the day, investors want to know if a company’s management is in support of its visions and plans. Through this purchase, I am putting my money where my mouth is and saying that I am investing in this company and our growth plans,” maintains Gordhan.