That dollar amount reflects a 53.6% increase compared to $381.4 billion five years earlier in 2020.
Year over year, the total value of products exported from Africa declined by -8.1% compared to $637.7 billion for 2023.
Shifting our focus to global benchmarks, worldwide exports from all countries equaled $23.88 trillion in 2024. Africa’s exports represent an estimated 2.5% share of total world exports in 2024, down from 2.6% one year earlier.
Worldwide exports from all countries increased at a slower pace (36.4%) than Africa over the 5-year period starting in 2020. Year over year, the world’s exports rose 0.9% which outpaced the -8.1% decline in African exports.
In 2024, the 5 biggest African exporting nations are South Africa, Nigeria, Algeria, Morocco and Egypt. Collectively, that powerful cohort of African shippers generated almost half (49.1%) of the continent’s overall exports by value. That percentage reveals a dilution in concentration compared to the 52% portion one year earlier in 2024.
Given Africa’s growing population of about 1.495 billion people in 2024, the continent’s total $585.8 billion worth exported goods translates to roughly $392 per African resident. That dollar metric lags the average $411 per capita one year earlier during 2023.
Top African Export Countries
Below are the top African export countries that achieved the highest dollar value in global shipments during 2024. Also shown is the percentage change in value from 2023 to 2024.
| Rank | Exporter | Exports (US$) | %Total | 2020-4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | South Africa | $110,390,555,000 | 18.8% | +28.8% |
| 2. | Nigeria | $56,766,427,000 | 9.7% | +70.2% |
| 3. | Morocco | $47,487,556,000 | 8.1% | +71.4% |
| 4. | Algeria | $47,096,935,000 | 8.0% | +107.9% |
| 5. | Egypt | $38,846,217,000 | 6.6% | +32.5% |
| 6. | Angola | $36,720,802,000 | 6.3% | +74.5% |
| 7. | Libya | $29,754,476,000 | 5.1% | +214.4% |
| 8. | Democratic Republic Congo | $28,388,372,000 | 4.8% | +99.5% |
| 9. | Ivory Coast | $20,548,862,000 | 3.5% | +65% |
| 10. | Tunisia | $20,339,219,000 | 3.5% | +47.1% |
| 11. | Ghana | $15,860,376,000 | 2.7% | 0% |
| 12. | Zambia | $11,275,830,000 | 1.9% | +39.9% |
| 13. | Guinea | $9,609,781,000 | 1.6% | -20.8% |
| 14. | Kenya | $8,255,798,000 | 1.4% | +37% |
| 15. | Mozambique | $8,211,289,000 | 1.4% | +137.3% |
| 16. | Congo | $7,960,614,000 | 1.4% | +59.9% |
| 17. | Gabon | $7,869,277,000 | 1.3% | +6.6% |
| 18. | Tanzania | $7,789,205,000 | 1.3% | +30.1% |
| 19. | Cameroon | $6,703,706,000 | 1.1% | +112.5% |
| 20. | Namibia | $6,527,693,000 | 1.1% | +20.3% |
| 21. | Burkina Faso | $5,643,566,000 | 1% | +28.8% |
| 22. | Senegal | $4,715,944,000 | 0.8% | +19.9% |
| 23. | Equatorial Guinea | $4,398,949,000 | 0.8% | +35.9% |
| 24. | Mauritania | $4,149,553,000 | 0.7% | +40.8% |
| 25. | Zimbabwe | $4,051,471,000 | 0.7% | -7.8% |
| 26. | Botswana | $3,691,979,000 | 0.6% | -14% |
| 27. | Chad | $3,470,799,000 | 0.6% | +103.1% |
| 28. | Ethiopia | $3,295,705,000 | 0.6% | +30.5% |
| 29. | Uganda | $3,278,304,000 | 0.6% | -21% |
| 30. | Sudan | $2,751,172,000 | 0.5% | -33.9% |
| 31. | Madagascar | $2,557,063,000 | 0.4% | +30.7% |
| 32. | Liberia | $2,370,813,000 | 0.4% | +467.1% |
| 33. | Eswatini | $1,977,829,000 | 0.3% | +12.9% |
| 34. | Mauritius | $1,753,473,000 | 0.3% | +13.2% |
| 35. | Sierra Leone | $1,508,793,000 | 0.3% | +149.3% |
| 36. | Togo | $1,366,135,000 | 0.2% | +39.4% |
| 37. | Niger | $1,274,642,000 | 0.2% | +2.2% |
| 38. | Benin | $1,112,834,000 | 0.2% | +31.6% |
| 39. | Lesotho | $934,653,000 | 0.2% | +14.2% |
| 40. | Malawi | $824,060,000 | 0.1% | +5.4% |
| 41. | Mali | $643,663,000 | 0.1% | -83.9% |
| 42. | Seychelles | $594,542,000 | 0.1% | +72.1% |
| 43. | Rwanda | $587,484,000 | 0.1% | -59% |
| 44. | Eritrea | $565,166,000 | 0.1% | -12.7% |
| 45. | South Sudan | $459,996,000 | 0.1% | -46.3% |
| 46. | Somalia | $448,192,000 | 0.1% | -5.6% |
| 47. | Guinea-Bissau | $211,696,000 | 0.04% | +16.4% |
| 48. | Djibouti | $207,563,000 | 0.04% | 0% |
| 49. | Burundi | $184,439,000 | 0.03% | +13.6% |
| 50. | Central African Republic | $84,954,000 | 0.01% | +107% |
| 51. | Cabo Verde | $68,245,000 | 0.01% | +28.5% |
| 52. | Gambia | $49,642,000 | 0.01% | +77.9% |
| 53. | Sao Tome/Principe | $48,955,000 | 0.01% | +292.8% |
| 54. | Comoros | $48,400,000 | 0.01% | +110.5% |
| 55. | Saint Helena | $31,443,000 | 0.01% | +130.7% |
| 56. | French South/Antarctic Territories | $15,831,000 | 0.003% | -54.7% |
| 57. | British Indian Ocean Territory | $15,611,000 | 0.003% | +15.4% |
| 58. | Western Sahara | $4,130,000 | 0.0007% | -45.1% |
The top 10 African exporters earned nearly three-quarters (74.5%) of all international sales for goods shipped from Africa during 2024.
From 2020 to 2024, 44 out of 58 export countries or territories in Africa enjoyed increasing revenues from their exports.
The fastest-gaining African exporters were Liberia (up 467.1%), Sao Tome and Principe (up 292.8%), Libya (up 214.4%), Sierra Leone (up 149.3%) then Mozambique (up 137.3%).
Leading the year-over-year decliners were exporters in Mali (down -83.9% from 2020), Rwanda (down -59%), French Southern and Antarctic Territories (down -54.7%), South Sudan (down -46.3%) then Western Sahara (down -45.1%).
See also South Africa’s Top 10 Exports, Nigeria’s Top 10 Exports, Egypt’s Top 10 Exports, Algeria’s Top 10 Exports and Morocco’s Top 10 Exports
Research Sources:
International Monetary Fund, Gross Domestic Product on a Purchasing Power Parity basis. Accessed on June 1, 2025
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on June 1, 2025
Wikipedia, List of African countries by population. Accessed on June 1, 2025