“All that glitters is not gold” – initial comments on Ghana’s Gold Board

In 2018, Ghana overtook South Africa to become Africa’s largest gold producer.

South Africa, the world’s largest producer of the metal until it lost the position in 2008, has all but dropped out of the big leagues today.

Of the different reasons often cited for Ghana’s feat, two stand out. First, the sheer amount of acreage converted to gold mining in the last few decades (remember that nearly 24% of the country’s landmass bears gold ores); and, second, the rapid surge of small, informal, and artisanal producers. Nearly 90% of new mining activity in recent years has been driven by this group of producers......