Number One In Africa.
Which country is Africa’s biggest producer of vanilla? Who mines the most diamonds? What is the best place on the continent to visit for uranium or flowers?


Here are twelve African countries that are the leading producers of something on the continent - and sometimes even in the world.

Diamonds: Botswana

Botswana is not only the leading source for diamonds in Africa - it has been at the top of world rankings for several years now. And despite a significant drop in production during 2012, it still sits at number one. During the previous year Botswana produced nearly $3 billion in the precious stones, measured in 20.5 million carats. This despite an annual drop of 24 percent in value.

Coffee: Uganda

Even though Ethiopia produced more coffee in 2012, Uganda beat it in terms of exports, becoming the biggest in Africa and ranked 11th overall in the world. The country exported 1.6 million bags of coffee, with Ethiopia’s 1.4 million bags right behind it. This has boosted Africa to supplying 9 percent of the world’s demand for java.

Copper: Zambia

Ranked 8th globally, Zambia is the continent’s top copper producer and exporter. In 2012 there was a slump in production - just slightly over 820,000 tons to 2011’s 880,000 tons. But exports were still buzzing: over 900,000 tons of copper was sent out of the country, higher than 2011’s 830,000 tons. The government has been investing heavily in the sector and expects production to rise again.

Gold: South Africa

Known for its ample resources, South Africa tops the list for several categories produced in Africa. But gold is certainly what it is known for best and it is not surprisingly the continent’s leading producer. Globally South Africa is ranked 5th, producing around 170 tons in 2012. Ghana, Africa’s number two gold producer, delivered around 89 tons.

Cassava: Nigeria

One can count Nigeria as a top producer of several things - it is notably the continent’s biggest producer and exporter of oil. But the country is also a top producer of the popular cassava root - in fact, it is the worldwide leader and harvests an astounding third of Africa’s entire cassava crop. That is roughly 40 million tons annually. Ninety percent, though, is consumed by the country’s population.

Uranium: Niger

The mineral that fuels nuclear reactors is quite rare and very sought after. Three African countries are in the top ten producers, with Malawi in the tenth spot. Namibia was the continental leader for a long time, but it was recently surpassed by Niger, which is the fourth-biggest uranium producer in the world, at an estimated 4,600 tons in 2012.

Vanilla: Madagascar

Though it is associated with the ‘plain’ taste that many people love, vanilla is actually quite exotic and harvested from a type of orchid. As such it likes tropic climates and Madagascar has plenty of that on offer, producing around 1,500 tons per year. That puts it second globally. The country’s output is considered one of the most stable in the market - a big deal because vanilla is apparently a difficult plant to grow.

Flowers: Ethiopia

Apparently Ethiopia has the perfect weather for growing flowers, which is why it has become the continental leader in the trade, just edging past Kenya and now ranked as one of the top 4 globally. One reason for this is because numerous flower companies, particularly from India, have started to lease land in Ethiopia. But the country has also invested a lot of time and energy into the trade, which was nonexistent a decade ago. Today over 85,000 Ethiopians work in the flower industry and it is the country’s biggest export after coffee and khat.

Cocoa: Côte d'Ivoire

If you eat a chocolate, odds are the cocoa beans used came from the Ivory Coast. It is the world leader of cocoa production, harvesting an astounding 30 percent of the global supply. Not surprisingly this is big business in Côte d'Ivoire, where over 900,000 farms are part of the trade. During the 2012 season, the Ivory Coast produced 1.5 million tons of the beans.

Tea: Kenya

Being quite famous for its tea, Kenya is the obvious leader on the continent for producing a good cup of cha. Globally it ranks third, producing around 370,000 tons in 2012. That made the country a nice $1.45 billion. This is despite a fall in production, thanks to a higher price for the much-loved leaves. It exports its products to 56 countries.

Cotton: Burkina Faso

There is still a lot of headroom in Africa’s cotton industry: only 8 percent of the world’s cotton comes from the continent - about the same as what Pakistan alone produces. But the industry is growing: the continental leader, Burkina Faso, recently started using genetically modified cotton, which boosted its crop from 400,000 tons to over 630,000 a year later.

Phosphate: Morocco (Western Sahara)

Modern fertiliser needs phosphate - considering how much stuff is grown everywhere, one can see how this would be in high demand. Morocco’s state phosphate company is the largest exporter of the mineral in the world, while the country ranks third globally in terms of production. But there is a bittersweet part to this: a lot of the phosphate is found in the annexed territory of Western Sahara, which many feel Morocco invaded illegally.

Nice one....one day my country will be listed as........--------
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Nice to see africa gaining ground in international trade.

I like this thread. Keep it up