Ivory Coast to Surpass Mali as West Africa's Third-Largest Gold Producer by 2026
Ivory Coast is projected to become the third-largest gold producer in West Africa by 2026, overtaking Mali. This shift is part of a broader recovery in the region's gold sector, which is expected to rebound by 8% in 2026 after a decline in 2025. Mali's gold production is anticipated to increase significantly by 28% due to the restart and ramp-up of the Loulo-Gounkoto mine, which had been disrupted by a dispute over mining conventions. Meanwhile, Ghana remains the largest gold producer in Africa, although its production growth is constrained by policy changes and declining output from mature mines. The Ghanaian government has introduced a sliding-scale royalty regime and is focusing on domestic value capture, which includes not renewing Gold Fields' Damang lease. These developments are part of a broader trend in West Africa, where countries are seeking to maximize benefits from their gold resources. 
