As of June 2026, the largest gold mines in Ghana by output are Newmont’s Ahafo mine, Gold Fields’ Tarkwa mine, and AngloGold Ashanti’s Iduapriem and Obuasi mines. Ghana is Africa’s largest gold producer and mined a record of roughly 4.8 million ounces in 2024. This guide ranks the country’s major gold mines by their latest reported production, names the owner of each, and shows how national output is split between big mines and small-scale miners. Every figure is sourced to the operator’s own results or the Ghana Chamber of Mines.
Quick answer
- Biggest gold mine in Ghana: Ahafo (Newmont), about 798,000 ounces in 2024.
- Next four: Tarkwa (Gold Fields), Iduapriem and Obuasi (AngloGold Ashanti), and Akyem (now Zijin Mining).
- Active large-scale gold mines: around a dozen, mostly in the Western, Ashanti, Ahafo, Central and Eastern regions.
- National output: a record of about 4.8 million ounces in 2024, up roughly 19 percent on 2023, with small-scale miners contributing about 1.9 million ounces of that total.
- Big ownership shift: three major mines have moved to Chinese owners (Akyem to Zijin, Wassa to Chifeng, Namdini to Shandong), while Damang and Bogoso-Prestea have moved to Ghanaian operators.
Market Pulse: Ghana’s gold production in 2024 and 2025
As of the latest full-year figures from the Ghana Chamber of Mines (2024, reported in 2025), Ghana produced a record amount of gold, driven mainly by a surge in small-scale output and high global prices.
| Indicator (2024) | Figure |
|---|---|
| Total gold output | About 4.8 million ounces (up about 19 percent on 2023) |
| Large-scale mines | About 2.9 million ounces (broadly flat) |
| Small-scale and artisanal | About 1.9 million ounces (up about 70 percent) |
| Gold export earnings | About US$11.6 billion |
| Mining share of GDP | Roughly 7 percent |
| 2025 projection | 4.4 million to 5.1 million ounces |
Source: Ghana Chamber of Mines 2024 industry statistics. Ghana overtook South Africa as Africa’s top gold producer in 2019 and has held the position since.
The largest gold mines in Ghana (2026), ranked by output
As of 2026, the ranking below uses each mine’s most recent operator-reported gold production. Most figures are full-year 2024 calendar output. Three are noted because they use a different basis: Edikan reports on a July to June financial year, while Chirano and Bibiani report on a January financial year and in gold-equivalent ounces (gold plus a small amount of silver). Figures move every year, so treat this as a size guide rather than a fixed table.
| Rank | Mine | Latest output (oz) | Owner (listing) | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ahafo | 798,000 (2024) | Newmont (NYSE) | Ahafo / Bono |
| 2 | Tarkwa | 537,200 (2024) | Gold Fields (JSE, NYSE) | Western |
| 3 | Iduapriem | 237,000 (2024) | AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE, JSE) | Western |
| 4 | Obuasi | 221,000 (2024) | AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE, JSE) | Ashanti |
| 5 | Akyem | 204,000 (2024) | Zijin Mining (since Apr 2025) | Eastern |
| 6 | Edikan | 177,167 (FY to Jun 2025) | Perseus Mining (ASX, TSX) | Central |
| 7 | Chirano | 138,434 GE (FY to Jan 2024) | Asante Gold (CSE, GSE, Frankfurt) | Western |
| 8 | Damang | 135,000 (2024) | In transition to Engineers and Planners | Western |
| 9 | Asanko | 115,115 (2024) | Galiano Gold, 90 percent (NYSE American, TSX) | Ashanti |
| 10 | Bibiani | About 76,500 GE (FY to Jan 2024) | Asante Gold (CSE, GSE, Frankfurt) | Western North |
Note: “GE” means gold-equivalent ounces. The Government of Ghana holds a 10 percent carried interest in most large-scale mines, so the owners above refer to the controlling operator.
New and restarting mines to watch
Three mines are not ranked above because they are either ramping up or restarting and do not yet have a full reported year:
| Mine | Status | Owner | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| Namdini | First gold poured November 2024; commercial production from the first half of 2025, still ramping toward a target of about 360,000 oz a year | Shandong Gold (via Cardinal Namdini) | Upper East |
| Bogoso-Prestea | Restarted after a roughly two-year shutdown; first gold poured February 2026 | Heath Goldfields (Ghanaian-owned) | Western |
| Wassa | Producing, but the owner has not reported per-mine figures publicly since taking the business private in 2022; last public output was about 155,000 oz in 2021 | Chifeng Jilong (Golden Star Wassa) | Western |
Profiles of Ghana’s biggest gold mines
1. Ahafo (Newmont)
Ahafo is the largest gold mine in Ghana, producing about 798,000 ounces in 2024, up sharply from 581,000 ounces in 2023. Owned by Newmont, the world’s biggest gold miner, it combines open-pit and underground mining. Newmont also brought its separate Ahafo North operation into commercial production in late 2025, adding more output from the same district.
2. Tarkwa (Gold Fields)
Tarkwa is Africa’s largest open-pit gold mine and the country’s second biggest producer, at 537,200 ounces in 2024. Operated by Gold Fields, it sits in the Western Region. A proposed joint venture to combine Tarkwa with the neighbouring Iduapriem mine had not received government approval as of early 2026.
3. Iduapriem (AngloGold Ashanti)
Iduapriem produced 237,000 ounces in 2024, down 12 percent from 268,000 ounces a year earlier. It is an open-pit mine near Tarkwa, owned by AngloGold Ashanti.
4. Obuasi (AngloGold Ashanti)
Obuasi is one of the most famous gold mines in West Africa, dating to the 1890s. After a major redevelopment completed in 2019, the deep, high-grade underground mine produced 221,000 ounces in 2024 as it continued ramping up.
5. Akyem (Zijin Mining)
Akyem, in the Eastern Region, produced 204,000 ounces in 2024 under Newmont. In April 2025 China’s Zijin Mining completed a deal worth up to US$1 billion to buy the mine, and now operates it.
Just behind the leaders, Edikan (Perseus Mining), Chirano and Bibiani (Asante Gold), Damang and Asanko round out the country’s active large-scale gold producers. You can browse every mine, with production charts, ownership and location, on the Ghana mining directory.
Who owns Ghana’s gold mines?
As of 2026, ownership of Ghana’s gold mines spans several countries, and it has shifted noticeably in the past two years:
- United States: Newmont (Ahafo, and the new Ahafo North).
- South Africa: Gold Fields (Tarkwa) and AngloGold Ashanti (Obuasi, Iduapriem), now headquartered abroad but with deep South African roots.
- China: Zijin Mining (Akyem, since April 2025), Chifeng Jilong (Wassa) and Shandong Gold (Namdini).
- Canada and Australia: Galiano Gold (Asanko), Perseus Mining (Edikan) and Asante Gold (Bibiani, Chirano).
- Ghana: Engineers and Planners took over Damang through a government tender, and Heath Goldfields restarted Bogoso-Prestea, both part of a push for more local ownership.
The Government of Ghana also holds a 10 percent free-carried interest in most large-scale mining leases.
Frequently asked questions
What is the biggest gold mine in Ghana?
Ahafo, owned by Newmont, is the biggest gold mine in Ghana by output, producing about 798,000 ounces in 2024. Tarkwa, operated by Gold Fields, is the largest open-pit gold mine and the second biggest producer.
How much gold does Ghana produce?
Ghana produced a record of about 4.8 million ounces of gold in 2024, up roughly 19 percent on 2023, according to the Ghana Chamber of Mines. Large-scale mines accounted for about 2.9 million ounces and small-scale and artisanal miners for about 1.9 million ounces.
Who owns Obuasi mine?
The Obuasi gold mine is owned and operated by AngloGold Ashanti, which redeveloped it into a modern underground mine, with first gold from the new operation in 2019.
Who bought Akyem mine?
China’s Zijin Mining bought the Akyem gold mine from Newmont in a deal worth up to US$1 billion, completed in April 2025. Ghana’s Parliament ratified the related mining lease, with the final payment made in mid-2025.
Is the Damang mine still operating?
Yes, but it is in transition. Gold Fields stopped active mining at Damang in 2023 and was processing stockpiles, and after the government declined to renew its lease in 2025 the concession moved to Ghanaian firm Engineers and Planners. The mine produced about 135,000 ounces in 2024.
What is the newest gold mine in Ghana?
Namdini, in the Upper East Region, is the newest large-scale gold mine. Operated by Shandong Gold through Cardinal Namdini, it poured first gold in November 2024 and began commercial production in 2025, targeting about 360,000 ounces a year at full capacity.
Where are most of Ghana’s gold mines located?
Most large-scale gold mines are in the Western and Western North regions, with others in Ashanti (Obuasi, Asanko), Ahafo and Bono (Ahafo), Central (Edikan) and Eastern (Akyem). Namdini opened the northern Upper East region to large-scale mining.
Related guides on websitesgh.com
Data note: mine-level production is drawn from each operator’s own results for the most recent reported period: Newmont (Ahafo, Akyem), Gold Fields (Tarkwa, Damang), AngloGold Ashanti (Obuasi, Iduapriem), Perseus Mining (Edikan), Galiano Gold (Asanko), Asante Gold (Chirano, Bibiani), plus Shandong Gold, Chifeng Jilong and Heath Goldfields for the newer or restarting mines. National totals are from the Ghana Chamber of Mines 2024 industry statistics. Reporting periods and units differ between companies, as noted in the tables, and figures change each year. Last updated June 2026.