Ghana is strengthening its position as a regional trade and logistics hub, posting an intra-African trade surplus of about $2.2 billion while expanding infrastructure aimed at serving landlocked economies across West Africa, according to an Afreximbank country report.
Exports to African markets reached $4.2 billion in 2024, more than double the $1.9 billion of imports from the continent, leaving Ghana with one of the region’s stronger trade balances. Total merchandise trade with Africa stood at approximately $6.1 billion, representing about 16% of the country’s overall trade.
The figures show Ghana’s growing importance as both a trading nation and a gateway for regional commerce at a time when governments across Africa are seeking to deepen economic integration through the African Continental Free Trade Area.
South Africa remained Ghana’s dominant African export destination in 2024, accounting for about 60% of merchandise exports to the continent, driven largely by shipments linked to gold and oil. Ghana also maintained strong trade ties within West Africa, with Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, and Togo among its largest regional export markets.
The export pattern highlights the growing importance of established ECOWAS trade corridors and demand from neighboring economies, particularly for commodities and industrial goods moving through Ghana’s ports and transport networks.
On the import side, Ghana’s trade relationships are more diversified. South Africa accounted for 19.1% of African imports, followed by Egypt, Nigeria, and Burkina Faso, reflecting the country’s reliance on a broad mix of industrial products, fuel, and manufactured goods sourced from across the continent.
Afreximbank said Ghana has significant scope to expand its role in regional trade as authorities pursue policies aimed at boosting value-added manufacturing, downstream processing, and logistics infrastructure. The strategy is expected to complement efforts to reduce dependence on raw commodity exports and position the country as a distribution and processing center for West Africa.
Central to that ambition are investments in transport and logistics facilities, including the continued expansion of Tema Port and development of the Boankra Inland Port. The inland port project is intended to reduce cargo turnaround times for Burkina Faso and Mali, improving freight movement and strengthening Ghana’s role in regional warehousing and distribution.
The country’s growing trade position is also being supported by a stronger external balance sheet. Foreign-exchange reserves excluding gold are estimated to have risen to $13.8 billion in 2025 and are projected to increase further to $14.6 billion in 2026 and $15.1 billion in 2027, supported by elevated gold prices, stronger export earnings, and the Bank of Ghana’s gold-for-reserves program.
The reserve build-up provides policymakers with greater capacity to manage currency volatility and support import financing as trade volumes expand, reinforcing Ghana’s ambitions to become one of Africa’s leading commercial and logistics gateways.
The combination of rising reserves, improving transport infrastructure, and growing regional trade flows gives businesses increasing opportunities in logistics, warehousing, manufacturing, freight services, and cross-border commerce as Ghana seeks to capitalize on deeper African economic integration.
