Burkina Faso Opens First Gold Refinery as Africa Expands Local Processing

Burkina Faso has opened its first gold refinery as the country steps up efforts to process more of its mineral wealth domestically and capture greater value from gold production.

The state-controlled Raffinor BF facility in Ouagadougou was built at a cost of $19 million and initially has capacity to refine up to 164 tonnes of gold annually, according to managing director Adama Sawadogo.

A second development phase is planned to increase annual capacity to 515 tonnes. The refinery has been designed as a modular facility, allowing additional processing lines to be added as demand grows.

Burkina Faso produced 94 tonnes of gold in 2025, according to the country’s Ministry of Energy, Mines and Quarries.

Africa Pushes for Greater Mineral Value

The refinery forms part of a broader shift across Africa, where major gold-producing countries are seeking to reduce exports of unrefined minerals and develop more processing capacity within their borders.

Guinea banned raw gold exports in June, while Ghana introduced measures this month stopping exports of unrefined gold produced by small-scale miners.

Mali is developing its first gold refinery through a joint venture with Russia’s Yadran Group, while Côte d’Ivoire is planning to open a refinery during the first half of 2027.

The developments reflect a growing emphasis on mineral beneficiation and domestic value addition across Africa.

Rather than exporting gold in less processed forms, governments are seeking to establish refining and related industries that can retain more economic value within national economies.

Refining Could Support Broader Industrial Development

Burkina Faso’s government has indicated that the country’s mining sector should contribute more broadly to industrial development.

Military leader Ibrahim Traoré has said the government wants mining to support local industry beyond gold production.

A domestic refining industry could create opportunities in areas including technical services, equipment supply, logistics and skilled employment, while potentially supporting the development of additional businesses linked to the mining value chain.

The planned expansion of Raffinor BF’s capacity also provides room for the facility to process increasing volumes as Burkina Faso develops its gold sector.

The refinery is therefore part of a wider African trend towards building domestic mineral-processing capacity and shifting the continent’s mining industry from a predominantly extraction-based model towards greater local value creation.