Ghana posted a $2.2 billion trade surplus with the rest of Africa in 2024 and is expanding ports to act as a gateway for landlocked West African neighbours, a new report shows.
The figures, from a country report by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), show exports to African markets reached about $4.2 billion, more than double the $1.9 billion of imports from the continent. Total merchandise trade with Africa stood near $6.1 billion, about 16 percent of Ghana’s overall trade, giving the country one of the region’s stronger balances.
South Africa was the leading African destination, taking roughly 60 percent of Ghana’s exports to the continent on the back of gold and oil shipments. Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire and Togo ranked among the largest regional markets, underlining the weight of established Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) corridors as governments deepen integration under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Imports were more diversified. South Africa supplied 19.1 percent of Ghana’s African imports, followed by Egypt, Nigeria and Burkina Faso, reflecting reliance on a mix of industrial products, fuel and manufactured goods.
Afreximbank said Ghana has significant room to expand its role as authorities push value added manufacturing, downstream processing and logistics. Central to that ambition are investments in Tema Port and the planned Boankra Inland Port, which aims to cut cargo turnaround times for Burkina Faso and Mali and strengthen Ghana’s place in regional warehousing and distribution.
A stronger external position is reinforcing the strategy. The report estimates that foreign exchange reserves excluding gold rose to $13.8 billion in 2025 and projects further gains to $14.6 billion in 2026 and $15.1 billion in 2027, supported by elevated gold prices, stronger export earnings and the Bank of Ghana’s gold for reserves programme.
That build up gives policymakers more room to steady the cedi and finance imports as trade grows, the report said, opening opportunities for businesses in logistics, warehousing, manufacturing, freight and cross border commerce.
