The three countries with the largest trade surpluses in Africa are oil producers

Key takeaways

  • Angola's $23.8 billion surplus is nearly double Algeria’s
  • The top three countries are major oil exporters
  • Oil, minerals, and natural resources drive most surpluses
  • No North African country besides Algeria makes the top 10

Angola leads Africa’s trade surplus rankings, with other oil-producing countries taking the next two top spots. Mineral wealth boosts nations like Guinea and South Africa, while smaller economies like Ghana and Zambia still maintain positive balances. The rankings highlight how Africa’s trade surpluses rely heavily on natural resources.

Source:

World Bank

Period:

2023
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US trade deficit with South Africa nearly doubled to $6.3 billion in H1 2025
  • US imports from Africa jumped 24% to $23.4 billion in H1 2025 despite tariffs.
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  • Nigeria swung into a $576 million surplus, reversing last year’s deficit.
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46 African countries get more than 60% of their export earnings from raw goods, with South Sudan leading with 99.5%
  • More than 60% of the countries in Africa are commodity-dependent.
  • South Sudan leads the list with 99.5%.
  • Nigeria’s commodity export dependence is 96.3%, dominated by energy (89.7%), followed by agriculture (4.0%) and mining (2.6%).
  • Africa alone accounts for nearly 47% of all commodity dependent countries globally.
Only 8 African countries get less than 60% of their export earnings from raw goods, with Tunisia leading at 21.5%
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  • Algeria, Morocco, Eswatini, Lesotho, Djibouti, Mauritius, Comoros, and Egypt stand out with less than 60%.
  • Algeria and Morocco are the least dependent, pointing to stronger industrial and trade sectors.
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Ghana’s exports

  • Gold bullion dominates exports, contributing ¢163.0B (55.3%) of total exports.

  • Petroleum oils follow distantly at ¢52.6B (17.8%).

  • Cocoa (beans, paste, butter) remains a vital sector, collectively worth ¢24.7B (8.4%).

  • Manganese, cashew, tuna, iron/steel, and shea oil are niche contributors, each under 2% of exports.

  • All other products still make up a significant 14.4% (¢42.4B), showing potential for export diversification.
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