In 2025, Africa’s top gold mines’ output declined. Africa’s five largest gold mines produced a combined output of 2.87 million ounces of gold, equivalent to roughly 89.3 tons; a decline from 3.45 million ounces the previous year. The drop highlights operational and geopolitical pressures on the continent’s mining sector, with disruptions ranging from labour adjustments to regulatory disputes, alongside natural ore variability at established mines.
Democratic Republic of Congo: Kibali Reclaims the Lead
Kibali, operated jointly by Barrick Mining and AngloGold Ashanti in the Democratic Republic of Congo, returned to Africa’s top spot after falling to third place in 2024. The mine produced 674,000 ounces in 2025, down roughly 2% year-on-year, but enough to surpass Ghana’s Ahafo South. The site’s rebound underscores both its scale and its operational resilience, aided by extensive mechanized underground and open-pit infrastructure.
Barrick projects that Kibali could produce up to 688,900 ounces in 2026, reflecting ongoing investment in ore processing capacity, automation, and exploration. The mine remains a critical asset in Barrick’s African portfolio, combining high-grade ore bodies with a logistics network capable of supporting consistent throughput despite regional challenges such as energy supply and transport bottlenecks.
Ghana: Ahafo South Slides to Second
Ahafo South, operated by U.S.-based Newmont, produced 664,000 ounces, a sharp drop from 798,000 ounces in 2024. The decline illustrates both geological variability and the operational pressures of maintaining ageing infrastructure while expanding new extraction fronts.
Ghana’s second-place finish is also influenced by regional competition and interruptions elsewhere, including Mali’s Loulo-Gounkoto mine, which remained largely idle due to disputes with the Malian government. Newmont projects further declines at Ahafo South, with 2026 output forecast at approximately 440,000 ounces, pointing to a broader need for infrastructure upgrades and cost management across legacy operations.
Mali: Fekola Steps Up
Fekola, operated by Canada’s B2Gold, emerged as Mali’s representative in the top three, producing 530,769 ounces in 2025, in line with targets and marking a 35% increase from 2024. The mine demonstrates how greenfield investments and modern milling techniques can offset regional disruptions elsewhere, including the absence of Loulo-Gounkoto.
Despite strong performance in 2025, Fekola’s guidance for 2026 is capped at 460,000 ounces. Maintaining top-three status will depend on operational efficiency, ore body stability, and the pace of Loulo-Gounkoto’s restart, which could shift regional production dynamics.
Mauritania: Tasiast Maintains Fourth
Mauritania’s Tasiast mine, operated by Kinross Gold, retained its fourth-place position with 503,429 ounces, reflecting a 19% decline from the previous year. Tasiast’s production profile highlights the challenges of deepening open-pit operations while controlling cost structures in a high-energy and capital-intensive extraction environment. Kinross anticipates broadly stable output in 2026, emphasizing continuity in processing capacity and logistical supply chains.
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Egypt: Sukari Rounds Out the Top Five
Sukari, now wholly owned by AngloGold Ashanti after acquiring U.K.-based Centamin, produced 500,000 ounces in 2025. The mine edges out other competitors such as AngloGold’s Geita in Tanzania and Gold Fields’ Tarkwa in Ghana, reflecting the advantage of long-life deposits combined with modernized milling and gold recovery technology. Sukari’s sustained output demonstrates the value of strategic acquisitions and investment in local infrastructure, which has allowed it to remain competitive despite broader market volatility.
Structural Insights
The production shifts among Africa’s top five mines illustrate a few key structural dynamics in the region’s gold sector. First, mines output is increasingly sensitive to operational continuity, regulatory stability, and workforce management. Second, long-term competitiveness relies on investment in modern milling, energy reliability, and automation. Third, geopolitical disruptions, including disputes over mining rights or resource governance, can materially affect annual production figures, as seen in Mali and Ghana.
As mining companies adjust to these pressures, investors and regional policymakers will need to balance infrastructure investment, regulatory oversight, and operational efficiency to sustain Africa’s position as a leading gold-producing continent. With forecasts indicating incremental production growth at some sites and continued volatility at others, 2026 promises another year of strategic repositioning for both corporate operators and national economies dependent on gold revenues.
