- Artisanal gold exports hit 66.7 tonnes, worth $6.3bn in eight months
- Small-scale miners outpaced large-scale producers in both volume and value
ACCRA, GHANA – Ghana’s small-scale gold sector has set a historic record, surpassing export volumes and values for the entire previous year in just eight months, official data shows.
Between January and August 2025, artisanal and small-scale exports reached 66.7 tonnes, valued at $6.3 billion, according to Sammy Gyamfi, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board. That performance already exceeds the 2024 total of 63 tonnes, worth $4.6 billion.
“What this means is that the volume and value of small-scale gold exports from January to August 2025 alone have exceeded the total small-scale gold export outturn for the whole of 2024,” Gyamfi told the maiden Mining and Minerals Convention in Accra.
Large-scale mining overtaken
The results mark a dramatic shift in industry dynamics. While large-scale mining produced 65.1 tonnes valued at $5.6 billion during the same period, artisanal and small-scale miners held a clear lead in both output and value.
The surge in foreign exchange inflows is bolstering Ghana’s economy. The Bank of Ghana has strengthened its reserves, improved its balance of payments and provided much-needed support to the Ghanaian cedi. Analysts say the boom is boosting investor confidence in the sector and could drive growth in downstream industries such as refining.
To consolidate the gains, the Gold Board has launched a strategic initiative to purchase 20 percent of output from seven large-scale firms for the central bank. Nearly 100 kilograms of gold have already been added to the Bank of Ghana’s reserves. Local refining before export is also scheduled to begin next month to retain more value and attract further investment.
The Gold Board’s efforts, established under the 2025 Gold Board Act, are credited with reducing smuggling, improving transparency and ensuring gold revenues contribute directly to development priorities.
“These early successes have affirmed the strategic role of the Ghana Gold Board in Ghana’s long-term development and prosperity,” Gyamfi said.
