Ghana ranked 10th among Africa's top silver-producing countries; See list

• Morocco leads Africa's silver industry, accounting for about half of the continent's annual silver production, with the Zgounder Mine now the continent's largest operating silver mine.

• South Africa, Eritrea and Botswana follow among Africa's top silver producers, with much of their silver recovered as a byproduct of gold, copper and platinum mining.

• Ghana completes the top 10, producing about one metric ton of silver annually, largely as a byproduct of its globally significant gold mining sector.

According to data from the Global Economy, here's the list of the top 10 countries:

Morocco holds Africa’s most extensive primary silver reserves, accounting for roughly half of the entire continent's production. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the country produces approximately 275 metric tons of silver annually.

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Unlike most other African nations where silver is merely a secondary byproduct, Morocco features massive primary silver deposits located across the Anti-Atlas mountains. The Zgounder Mine expanded its processing facilities to reach a proven and probable reserve capacity of 15.7 million tonnes of ore.

This ore grades at 145 grams of silver per ton, yielding roughly 73.4 million ounces (2,283 metric tons) of contained silver reserves. Following this massive plant expansion, Zgounder expanded production by 193% to 149 metric tons, making it Africa's largest operating silver mine. It surpassed the historic Imiter Mine complex, which holds massive geological reserves and produces roughly 127 metric tons of high-purity silver annually.

South Africa possesses over 46,000 metric tons of polymetallic reserves where silver is heavily integrated into broader base-metal and precious-metal matrixes. The nation averages an annual silver output of 59 metric tons, making it the largest producer in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The country's massive silver reserve data is fundamentally tied to its status as a global leader in platinum-group metals (PGMs) and gold. Silver is recovered during the industrial refining of gold fields within the Witwatersrand Basin and platinum extraction in the Bushveld Complex. Because silver is treated as a secondary asset by giant operators like AngloGold Ashanti and Sibanye-Stillwater, the exact national silver-specific reserve is rarely isolated from copper and gold deposit metrics. However, the total mineral reserve remains vast due to the scale of South Africa's deep-level mining infrastructure.

Eritrea has built up an annual production capacity of 49 metric tons of silver. This rapid rise makes it the third-highest silver asset pool on the continent.

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The country's silver reserves are concentrated within Volcanogenic Massive Sulfide (VMS) deposits. The premier asset driving these numbers is the Bisha Mine, which hosts highly enriched copper-zinc-silver zones. Because VMS deposits carry highly concentrated pockets of precious metals, Eritrea's gold and silver byproduct reserves have become the primary economic driver for its national mining sector, with data indicating steady 5% to 7% growth in accessible resources.

Botswana yields approximately 43 metric tons of silver each year. This metal is processed as an industrial byproduct of its expansive base-metal belts.

While renowned globally for diamonds, Botswana's metallic silver reserves are tied directly to the Kalahari Copper Belt. Major base metal projects, such as the Motheo Copper Project, contain significant silver credits mixed within their copper sulfide deposits. Botswana's reserves are quantified alongside its copper ore processing capacity, where millions of tons of copper ore yield small, highly consistent percentages of silver metal during the flotation and smelting processes. 

Tanzania generates 11.5 to 14 metric tons of silver annually. This volume is pulled directly from the country's rich greenstone gold belts.

Tanzania does not mine for primary silver; instead, its silver reserves are measured as a fixed percentage of its gold reserves. Large gold complexes like the Geita Gold Mine process ore containing minor silver grades. When the gold is poured as unrefined doré bars, silver typically accounts for a small percentage of the total weight, which is later isolated and refined abroad.

Namibia records a baseline silver production of 2 to 5 metric tons per year, though its geological potential is significantly higher.

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Namibia's silver reserve data is linked to historical, highly complex polymetallic deposits. The Tsumeb and Rosh Pinah mine regions host massive underground zinc-lead-copper systems. Historically, these complex ores yielded up to 34,000 kg (34 metric tons) of silver annually when base metal markets peaked. Modern reserves are heavily dependent on the processing depth and operational status of these specific lead-zinc smelting networks.

Burkina Faso accounts for roughly 8 metric tons of silver output each year. This material is extracted entirely through its surging industrial gold sector.

The country's silver reserves are spread across numerous Birimian greenstone gold deposits. As Burkina Faso expanded its gold mining operations over the last decade, it unlocked significant silver byproducts. Mining data reveals that for every few ounces of gold extracted from its open-pit operations, a fractional byproduct of silver is recovered during the cyanidation and carbon-in-leach circuit processes. 

Ethiopia produces an average of 3 metric tons of silver annually according to historical USGS mineral tracking data.

The nation's reserves are mostly tied to the Lega Dembi gold mine and surrounding volcanic structures in the southern and northern regions. Like other East African nations, Ethiopia's silver reserves are not measured independently but are tracked via gold-silver alloy ratios found within local quartz veins.

Zimbabwe holds a baseline silver output of roughly 1.5 to 2 metric tons per year. The country's silver reserves sit within historic gold mining belts, such as Kwekwe and Kadoma.

While Zimbabwe contains extensive polymetallic deposits that feature copper, nickel, and cobalt alongside silver, operational limitations have historically restricted the scale of byproduct precious metal refining.

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Ghana rounds out the top ten with roughly 1 metric ton of silver produced annually. As Africa’s primary gold producer, Ghana processes millions of tons of precious metal ore each year.

However, the geological makeup of Ghana's major gold deposits features an exceptionally low silver-to-gold ratio compared to South Africa or Tanzania. Consequently, its massive gold extraction operations yield only minor quantities of silver byproduct