Source: newsthemegh.com
The most recent figures from the Ghana Chamber of Mines show that Ghana has recaptured South Africa’s position as Africa’s leading gold producer.
The chamber claims that the concurrent growth in the production of both large-scale and small-scale sectors is what caused the country’s gold output to expand from 2.8 million ounces in 2021 to 3.7 million ounces in 2022.
The data shows a 32% rise in gold sub-sector production. South Africa replaced Ghana as the top producer of gold in Africa when the combined output from large- and small-scale producers fell from 4 million ounces in 2020 to 2.8 million.
The statistic also indicates that the large-scale gold sub-sector produced its largest output in the history of the country in 2022, according to Joshua Mortoti, president of the chamber, who spoke at the 95th annual general meeting of the Ghana Chamber of Mines on Friday (9 June) in Accra.
“Ghana’s primary minerals produced and exported at varying rates in 2022. Gold and diamond production rose, but the output of bulk minerals like manganese and bauxite decreased year over year.
Thankfully, the nation’s gold output climbed from 2.8 million ounces in 2021 to 3.7 million ounces in 2022 as a result of concomitant expansion in the output of both large- and small-scale sectors. This results in a 32% rise in gold subsector production. In 2022, the large-scale gold sub-sector produced more than at any time in the history of the nation.
Mortoti said that the large-scale sector’s contribution to national gold output increased by 13% from 2.7 million ounces in 2021 to 3.1 million ounces in 2022 as a result of increased production at existing large-scale mines as well as new output.