Buy Gold in Ghana: GoldBod Compliant Financing

Ghana

Primary minerals	Gold, manganese, bauxite, diamonds
Key producing areas	Western, Ashanti, Ahafo, Eastern and Upper East regions
Gold export authority	Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), sole exporter of small scale gold
Mining regulator	Minerals Commission, under the Minerals and Mining Act 2006
Royalty on gold	Sliding scale, 5% to 12% by gold price (from March 2026)
Export hub	Accra

Who regulates gold in Ghana

The Ghana Gold Board Act, 2025 (Act 1140), assented on 2 April 2025, created GoldBod and abolished the Precious Minerals Marketing Company (PMMC), transferring all its functions to the new board. GoldBod now buys, sells, assays and exports small scale gold, licenses aggregators and buyers, and runs Ghana's Kimberley Process work for diamonds.

The Minerals Commission still regulates mining itself under the Minerals and Mining Act 2006 (Act 703). Small scale mining licences are reserved for Ghanaian citizens. GoldBod licences (aggregator, buyer tiers, jewellery and refinery licences) are likewise limited to Ghanaians or wholly Ghanaian owned companies, and trading gold without a licence carries heavy fines and prison terms.

Can a foreigner buy gold directly in Ghana?

Not from the small scale sector. Foreign buyers had to leave local gold trading by 30 April 2025, and the grace period for licensed exporters ended in May 2025. Since then, a foreign buyer of small scale gold deals with GoldBod as the off taker. Large scale mining companies operate under their own mining leases and agreements, which is a separate channel from artisanal supply.

In practice this means the questions a serious buyer asks in Ghana have changed. The right question is no longer "is this exporter licensed?" but "how does this purchase run through GoldBod, and who verifies the paperwork?"

How gold leaves Ghana legally

1. Licensed aggregators and buyers purchase gold from small scale miners in cedis at the Bank of Ghana reference rate.
2. GoldBod assays the gold and confirms purity and weight.
3. GoldBod exports the gold and receives payment from the overseas buyer. Since March 2026 GoldBod signs small scale gold sale agreements itself, and foreign currency proceeds go to the Bank of Ghana.
4. The buyer receives the consignment with GoldBod export documentation and runs a final assay at their refinery.

Royalties and taxes on gold in Ghana

Ghana moved to a sliding scale royalty under the Minerals and Mining Royalty Regulations, 2025, in force from March 2026. The rate rises with the gold price, from 5% when gold trades at up to US$1,900 an ounce to 12% above US$4,500 an ounce. A few large miners with stability agreements are excluded. The Growth and Sustainability Levy on gold miners was also cut from 3% to 1% in 2026. These charges sit with producers and GoldBod rather than with the foreign buyer, but they shape the price you are quoted.

Where Ghana's gold comes from

Ghana is Africa's leading gold producer. In 2025 small scale miners produced about 96 tonnes, overtaking large scale mines for the first time, and gold exports earned around US$20.9 billion. Major mines include Tarkwa and Damang in the Western Region, Obuasi in the Ashanti Region, Ahafo and Ahafo North, and Akyem, while artisanal production is spread across the Western, Ashanti, Eastern and Upper East regions.

Scams and mistakes to avoid in Ghana

• Traders who claim they can still export. Since May 2025 licensed traders cannot export small scale gold. An offer of direct export from a Ghanaian dealer is a red flag.
• Fake GoldBod contacts. In 2026 GoldBod warned of AI generated videos of its chief executive used in scams. GoldBod says it never asks for fees or bank details through social media, phone calls or messaging apps.
• Advance payments for taxes or certificates. Legitimate charges are paid to the authorities, never wired to a seller. In every deal we finance, we pay them directly.

How we finance a gold purchase in Ghana

1. You apply online at no cost and receive a reference number.
2. We complete KYC on you and confirm how the purchase will run under GoldBod's rules, including who holds the export authority.
3. We verify the goods, the documents and the counterparty with the issuing bodies, and issue written terms.
4. We finance the upfront costs of the transaction and supervise assay, sealing and export.
5. You receive the consignment, run your final assay, and settle. Our single success fee is due only then.

If a Ghana deal cannot be made compliant with Act 1140, we tell you before it costs you anything.

Frequently asked questions: buying gold in Ghana

Other markets we finance

We finance verified gold transactions across West Africa: Sierra Leone · Guinea · Mali · Burkina Faso · Côte d'Ivoire · Liberia · Senegal. See all country guides or read our guide to avoiding gold scams.

Apply for financing in Ghana

If you have a pending or planned gold purchase from Ghana, submit it through our buyer application. We review it within 2 business days, tell you plainly whether it can run under GoldBod's rules, and if it can, we carry the upfront costs while you settle after delivery and final assay.