The figures are from the National Agency for Statistics and Demography (ANSD). According to this official body, Senegal’s exports of non-monetary gold reached $ 81.540 billion between January and April 2018, an increase of over 30% over the same period last year.
As a reminder, the Senegal Emerging Plan (PSE) targets a national production of 18 tons of gold per year. Last April, some 500 kilograms of gold were exported by Toro Gold (entered into production) in Geneva. Industry pioneer Sabodala Gold Operations (Sgo), which set a record of 233,000 ounces in 2017, is set to set a new record this year.
Estimates were 7 tons in 2018 by Sabodala and 4 tons by Toro. It should be noted that most of Senegal’s gold production is exported to the international market. The country is waiting for the start of production at the mines of Canada’s IAMgold (based in Toronto) and Australia’s Bassari Resources, which is supported by an African bank, Coris Bank in this case. Added to this is the Massawa gold project, one of the largest gold deposits not yet developed in West Africa, discovered in 2007 by Randgold Resources. On a recent visit to Senegal, Rangolg Executive Director Mark Bristow announces a development decision for late 2018.
