Zimbabwe, Egypt, Ghana and Guinea-Conakry also posted strong results, generating between $5 billion and $15 billion in mineral export revenues during the same period.

Export momentum further accelerated in 2025, driven by a sustained commodity price boom. Supported by rising global demand for critical minerals – which is expected to quadruple by 2040 – these and several other African markets are already on track to surpass 2024 mineral export records. Ghana, for example, recorded $8 billion in gold exports between January and October 2025 from the artisanal and small-scale mining sector alone, while Zimbabwe exported $1.93 billion in minerals during the first nine months of the year, up from $1.1 billion over the same period in 2024. In Zambia, copper continues to dominate the country’s trade, accounting for roughly 70% of total export earnings.

Meanwhile, Botswana, Namibia, Angola, Mozambique, Kenya, Gabon, Mauritania, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Algeria, Libya and Tunisia each achieved between $1 billion and $5 billion in mineral exports in 2024. Chad, Sudan, Niger, Mali, Ethiopia, Somalia and the Central African Republic recorded exports of up to $1 billion.

With Zambia targeting copper output of three million tons per annum, the DRC seeking to unlock the estimated 90% of its mineral resources that remain untapped and Zimbabwe accelerating the development of its lithium and platinum potential, mining’s contribution to export stability is set to deepen. At the same time, new rare earths projects in Angola and Malawi, graphite development in Tanzania, and expanding lithium and gold production in Mali present an opportunity for the sector to expand its role in shaping Africa’s export capacity amidst an increasing demand on the global market.

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