The rapid growth in gold exports has cemented the precious metal’s position as one of the country’s most important sources of foreign currency

Ethiopia is rapidly developing its mining sector, transforming its rich natural resources into a vital source of economic growth, investment and foreign exchange earnings. This was reported by Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation, a partner of TV BRICS.

Gold mining in particular is showing particularly impressive results. According to the Ethiopian authorities, in the 2025–2026 financial year, the country earned around US$5.7 billion from gold production. Around 44 tonnes of the metal were produced during the year.

According to the Ethiopian authorities, total revenue from gold exports over the preceding 27-year period amounted to around US$3.7 billion. Thus, the result for a single financial year exceeded the figure for the entire previous period.

Ethiopia is also seeking to shift from exporting unprocessed raw materials to processing them domestically. In 2026, the authorities announced the construction of the first major gold processing plant.

In addition to gold, the country possesses reserves of lithium, potash, tantalum, coal, and precious stones. The development of these sectors is seen as a further opportunity to attract investment, increase export revenue and expand the country’s industrial base.

African Times published this article in partnership with International Media Network TV BRICS