Buying Gold from Africa (2026): Country-by-Country Rules, Real Sources and How to Avoid Fakes
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Buying gold from Africa: what is legal in each country
Africa mines about a quarter of the world’s gold, and it is also where many foreign buyers lose money. The rules have changed fast: Ghana, Burkina Faso, Mali, Zimbabwe and Tanzania now route artisanal gold through state buyers, and several countries export far more gold than they mine. So the first question isn’t price. It’s whether the seller is allowed to sell at all.
Country by country
| Country | Who can legally sell | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Ghana | Large mines export their own gold. Artisanal gold goes through the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), the sole authorised buyer and exporter since 2025. | From 1 September 2026, artisanal doré must be refined at a GoldBod-approved refinery in Ghana before export. Our Ghana team can check a licence for you. |
| Mali | Industrial mines; artisanal gold through licensed buyers. | A new state body, the Malian Office of Precious Substances, is taking control of the artisanal trade (approved July 2026). Security risk in many mining areas. |
| Burkina Faso | Industrial mines, increasingly state-owned. Artisanal gold is sold to the state company SONASP. | Exports of artisanal and semi-mechanised gold were suspended in February 2024; small-scale production goes to SONASP. |
| Zimbabwe | Fidelity Gold Refinery, the country’s sole gold buying, refining and exporting company. | Fidelity received 46.7 tonnes in 2025. Gold offered outside Fidelity is, by definition, outside the formal channel. |
| Tanzania | Licensed dealers and exporters, through mineral trading centres. | Since October 2024 dealers must reserve at least 20% of their gold for the Bank of Tanzania, delivered through refineries in Dodoma and Mwanza. |
| South Africa | Mining companies and holders of a precious metals dealing licence. | Dealing in unwrought gold needs a licence from the South African Diamond and Precious Metals Regulator. Buy through established refiners. |
| Kenya | Licensed dealers. | A small producer that reports more exports than it mines; a SwissAid report names it a hub for smuggled gold from Sudan, South Sudan and the DRC. Nairobi is notorious for fake-gold scams aimed at foreign buyers. |
| Uganda | Licensed exporters and refineries. | 2025 exports of 62 tonnes far exceeded domestic output. UN experts link the gap to gold smuggled from DR Congo’s Ituri province, some of it under sanctions. |
| DR Congo | Licensed exporters with national certification and an ICGLR certificate. | High conflict and sanctions risk. Read our DRC gold guide. |
| Sudan and South Sudan | In practice, no safe legal channel for foreign buyers. | Sudan’s war since April 2023 is financed partly by gold; South Sudanese gold is largely smuggled. We don’t deal in either. |
| Togo, Benin, Rwanda | Licensed exporters. | Small domestic production. Gold offered here often originates in neighbouring countries, so origin checks matter more than usual. |
| Nigeria | Holders of a Licence to Purchase and Possess Minerals, with a Mineral Export Permit. | One industrial mine (Segilola) plus artisanal mining. Read our Nigeria gold guide. |
Smaller producers such as Malawi, Botswana, Zambia, Mozambique, Angola and Ethiopia follow the same pattern: licensed dealers, export permits and royalty receipts. If a country’s exports are far larger than its mining, ask where the gold really comes from.
How a legitimate purchase works
Company registration, licences and ID for the seller; the seller should also check you. A seller who skips this is a warning sign.
Confirm the seller’s dealing or export licence with the regulator, or with the state buyer in Ghana, Zimbabwe, Burkina Faso or Mali.
Mine of origin, royalty receipts and transport records, following OECD due-diligence guidance.
Assay at an accredited lab or the receiving refinery, not the seller’s own certificate.
Use a letter of credit, escrow or payment on refinery outturn. Never pay fees before you see the gold and the documents.
Export permit, customs declaration and insured shipment to an LBMA-accredited refinery.
A price well below the world gold price; “diplomatic” or “consignment box” shipments; requests for money for tax, insurance, “clearance” or certificates before delivery; sellers who won’t allow an independent assay; and urgency. Read our anti-fraud guide.
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Sources: Reuters via Mining Weekly (Ghana doré rule, 25 Aug 2026; Tanzania 20% rule, 30 Sep 2024); AllAfrica (Fidelity Gold Refinery, 13 May 2026); Ecofin (Burkina Faso, Feb 2024); Africanews (Mali, 3 Jul 2026; UN report on Uganda, 2 Jul 2026); SwissAid via The Kenya Times. Rules change often; we check them on every deal. General information, not legal advice.
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