Section
Commodities
Cocoa, coffee, crude oil, gold, copper, palm oil, natural gas and cotton — prices, production data and what moves them. Africa produces a large share of the world supply of most of these, and the price is the first thing that determines what that is worth.
The numbers
| Commodity | Price | Week | % | Range | Exchange |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Cocoa
USD/tonne
|
5,393 | up +5,278 | +4,572.91% | 115.41–5,393 | ICE Futures US (New York) |
|
Brent Crude Oil
USD/barrel
|
106.31 | down -10.41 | -8.92% | 106.31–116.72 | ICE Futures Europe |
|
Gold
USD/troy ounce
|
3,917.20 | down -76.76 | -1.92% | 3,917.20–3,993.96 | Spot (OTC) |
|
Coffee (Robusta)
$/tonne
|
3,256 | down -189 | -5.49% | 3,256–5,240 | ICE Liffe |
|
Copper
USD/lb
|
14,377 | up +14,371 | +224,480.97% | 14,377–14,377 | COMEX |
|
Palm Oil
MYR/tonne
|
4,598 | down -194 | -4.05% | 4,598–4,598 | Bursa Malaysia Derivatives |
|
Natural Gas
USD/MMBtu
|
2.89 | down -0.39 | -12.44% | —–— | NYMEX (Henry Hub) |
|
Cotton
USc/lb
|
77.30 | down -3.43 | -4.24% | 77.30–77.30 | ICE Futures US |
Analysis
Nigeria Domestic Crude Supply: Local Refineries Got 127 Million Barrels in Nine Months, NUPRC Says
Nigeria domestic crude supply topped 127m barrels in January–September 2026, NUPRC said, as output hit 1.717m bpd and a crude swap plan went to consultation.
Brent Crude Tops $116, a Six-Month High: What It Means for Nigeria, Angola, Kenya and Africa's Oil Importers
Brent crude topped $116 a barrel on 23 October after Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. What the six-month high means for African exporters, importers and FX.
Ghana Raw Mineral Export Ban by 2030: What Mahama's Plan Means for Manganese, Bauxite and Lithium
Ghana's raw mineral export ban is set for 2030. What Mahama announced, which minerals are covered, what miners must build, and how markets may react.
The new scramble for Africa (1): The minerals are African; the power is somewhere else
Africa holds a large share of the minerals the energy transition needs, and the US, China and others are competing for them. The value, however, is still mostly captured outside the continent. Part one of a series.
Brent at $110: Which African Economies Gain and Which Lose
Brent at $110 splits Africa in two. Nigeria and Angola gain export revenue while Kenya, Ghana and South Africa face higher fuel bills and inflation.
Mining productivity stalls despite advances in automation and AI, says McKinsey
McKinsey says mining productivity stalled in 2025 despite more automation and AI. Here is what the Global Materials Perspective 2026 found, why the gains are uneven, and what it means for miners and investors.
Ghosts of past subsidies haunt Nigeria’s petrol discount sale
Nigeria’s government has introduced a temporary petrol discount at NNPC retail stations and insists it is not a return to subsidy. Memories of the old regime, and political suspicion, still shape how the measure is received.
Egypt, Arab Rep.: Fuel exports (% of merchandise exports), 2025
Fuel exports accounted for 10% of Egypt’s merchandise exports in 2025, according to World Bank data. The share has declined from higher levels in previous years as non-fuel exports expanded.
Ghana: Food exports (% of merchandise exports), 2025
Food products accounted for 18% of Ghana’s merchandise exports in the latest World Bank data for 2023. In 2025 cocoa beans and products alone made up 14% of total exports, while gold dominated at 63.1%.
Kenya: Ores and metals exports (% of merchandise exports), 2025
Ores and metals accounted for 5.1% of Kenya’s merchandise exports in 2024. No official figure for 2025 has been published yet. Food and manufactures continue to dominate the export basket.
Congo, Dem. Rep.: Food exports (% of merchandise exports), 2024
Food exports accounted for just 1% of the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s merchandise exports in the latest available data. The figure underlines the country’s continued dependence on minerals for foreign exchange earnings.
Playing the devil’s advocate: Should Nigeria rethink its refineries?
Lagos State has withdrawn the operating licences of six PSP waste operators after capacity shortfalls. One exited voluntarily; five were terminated. Service continuity has been promised.