Topic
commodities
Brent Crude Tops $116, a Six-Month High: What It Means for Nigeria, Angola, Kenya and Africa's Oil Importers
Brent crude topped $116 a barrel on 23 October after Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. What the six-month high means for African exporters, importers and FX.
Ghana Raw Mineral Export Ban by 2030: What Mahama's Plan Means for Manganese, Bauxite and Lithium
Ghana's raw mineral export ban is set for 2030. What Mahama announced, which minerals are covered, what miners must build, and how markets may react.
Brent at $110: Which African Economies Gain and Which Lose
Brent at $110 splits Africa in two. Nigeria and Angola gain export revenue while Kenya, Ghana and South Africa face higher fuel bills and inflation.
Mining productivity stalls despite advances in automation and AI, says McKinsey
McKinsey says mining productivity stalled in 2025 despite more automation and AI. Here is what the Global Materials Perspective 2026 found, why the gains are uneven, and what it means for miners and investors.
Egypt, Arab Rep.: Fuel exports (% of merchandise exports), 2025
Fuel exports accounted for 10% of Egypt’s merchandise exports in 2025, according to World Bank data. The share has declined from higher levels in previous years as non-fuel exports expanded.
Ghana: Food exports (% of merchandise exports), 2025
Food products accounted for 18% of Ghana’s merchandise exports in the latest World Bank data for 2023. In 2025 cocoa beans and products alone made up 14% of total exports, while gold dominated at 63.1%.
Kenya: Ores and metals exports (% of merchandise exports), 2025
Ores and metals accounted for 5.1% of Kenya’s merchandise exports in 2024. No official figure for 2025 has been published yet. Food and manufactures continue to dominate the export basket.
Congo, Dem. Rep.: Food exports (% of merchandise exports), 2024
Food exports accounted for just 1% of the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s merchandise exports in the latest available data. The figure underlines the country’s continued dependence on minerals for foreign exchange earnings.
Ghana's Richest Woman Is Building a Cocoa Empire
Patricia Poku-Diaby built a $90 million cocoa processing plant in Ghana, capturing value multinationals have long controlled
Q&A: Sandvik Australia’s Craig Johnston on the technologies reshaping mining
Sandvik's automation and electrification push offers lessons for African mining, where technology adoption already shapes export revenue and jobs.
African Commodities Focus: Oil Falls, Gold Holds and Cocoa Surges
African commodity markets moved sharply in early August as Brent crude fell 5.26%, gold remained above $4,000 per ounce and cocoa surged 9.44%. The contrasting moves highlight the growing importance of commodity prices for African exports, currencies and fiscal revenues
Cocoa & Agricultural Exports: West Africa's Supply Crisis Reshapes Global Trade
Cocoa prices surged nearly 10% after Ghana projected lower production for the 2026/27 season, raising fresh concerns over global supply. Discover how West Africa's cocoa crisis is reshaping agricultural exports, commodity markets and international trade.