lobal demand for gold is surging, fueled by desire for "safe haven" currency amid political and economic uncertainty. By December 2025, gold prices reached an all-time high, topping $4,400 per ounce—or more than double the price in early 2024, $2,030 to 2,060. This upswing raises the economic incentive for small-scale and informal mining. To meet the demand, Ghana—Africa's leading gold producer and the sixth largest globally—had a record high output in 2024 that it aimed to surpass in 2025. About half of 2025's production came from artisanal and informal extraction, and it was the first year that Ghana's ... (full story)