By Favour Osah
Gold remains one of Africa’s most important export commodities. In 2025, a mix of long-established producers and rising exporters dominate the continent’s gold export landscape. Here are five countries leading in gold export in both value and volume.
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1. Ghana
Ghana has surged ahead in gold exports in 2025, thanks to major reforms in how gold from artisanal and small-scale miners (ASM) is handled and exported. Under the new Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), the government has centralised licensing, tightened regulations, introduced more transparent aggregation, and cracked down on illegal mining and smuggling. As a result, in just the first half of 2025, Ghana exported over US$5 billion of gold, surpassing its total gold exports for all of 2024, which were about US$4.6 billion. By August, ASM exports alone had reached ~66.7 tonnes worth approximately US$6.3 billion.
2. South Africa
South Africa remains one of the top gold exporters in Africa, though its output has moderated relative to its historical peaks. According to data for 2024-2025, South Africa’s gold exports were valued at around US$8.17 billion. 
Although mining challenges, such as rising costs, deeper ore bodies, regulatory and labour issues, have constrained growth, South Africa still benefits from large-scale industrial mining and well-established infrastructure for extracting, processing and exporting gold. Thus, even if production is under pressure, its export base remains strong.
3. Tanzania
Tanzania is growing in importance as a gold exporter in Africa, with recent data showing that in the year ending August 2025, gold exports reached about US$4.32 billion, up substantially from roughly US$3.19 billion in the same period a year earlier. 
The increase is driven largely by favourable global gold prices, as well as increased production and stronger participation by both industrial and small-scale miners. Gold is among the top exports by value for Tanzania.
4. Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso continues to be among the top exporters of gold in Africa due to its rich deposits and growing industrial mining sector. In 2024, it produced about 60.8 tonnes of gold, up from ~56.8 tonnes in 2023, and the vast majority of that gold is exported.
The sector is vital to its economy, representing a large share of its export earnings. Efforts are underway to improve its refining and processing capacity, as well as make its regulatory system more robust, especially to reduce fraud, smuggling, and inefficiencies. 
5. Mali (or other strong contenders)
While precise export value data for all countries in 2025 is less complete, Mali remains one of the major exporters of gold in Africa. Its gold mining sector includes both large industrial mines and significant artisanal activity. Though recent decisions (e.g. suspensions of some ASM permits for foreign companies) introduce uncertainty, Mali is still among the top exporters by both volume and value. 
Other countries that could contest for this spot, depending on how the rest of 2025 plays out, include those with rising production or with strong policies to formalise ASM and reduce smuggling.
In 2025, Africa’s gold exports continue to shine, driving growth and shaping economies across the continent. The industry still has its challenges, but its momentum shows no sign of slowing.
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