Morocco has taken a decisive step toward joining Africa’s top gold producers with the confirmation of exceptionally high-grade deposits in the southern Guelmim region. Mining company OLAH Palace Trading announced the discovery after identifying 34 quartz veins with assays as high as 30 grams per tonne (g/t) , a threshold considered world-class by international standards. Preliminary estimates suggest reserves of between 3–5 million ounces of gold, representing a scale large enough to reshape Morocco’s mining industry and bolster its role within the broader African resource market.
Fieldwork conducted by professional geologists has revealed exceptional assay results ranging from 6 g/t to 30 g/t across the project area. By comparison, global averages for new gold projects tend to average below 5 g/t, making Guelmim’s grades stand out as not only viable, but extraordinary. Exploration specialists describe the deposits as characteristic of classic hydrothermal gold systems, with features such as banded quartz, brecciation, and alteration halos. Structurally, the gold is found both as free particles and within sulfide minerals, a configuration that could allow for more efficient recovery methods during eventual production.
These grades, combined with the deposit’s scale, position the Guelmim discovery alongside some of the most important new gold finds in Africa over the past two decades. Analysts highlight that discoveries of this nature have become increasingly rare in mature markets, making the news especially significant for investors and global mining operators seeking growth in emerging regions.
Morocco’s mining sector has traditionally focused on phosphates, base metals, and industrial minerals, with gold production limited to a single small mine at Tiouit in the Tinghir province. In 2023, OECD data showed the nation exported $27.7 million worth of gold, ranking outside the continent’s top producers and well below African leaders such as Ghana and South Africa. Current production hovers at just over 100 kilograms annually, a fraction of regional output.
If the Guelmim deposit’s resource estimates are confirmed, Morocco could see production capacity leap several orders of magnitude, transforming gold into a cornerstone of its mining economy. That step would not only strengthen export revenues but also create downstream opportunities in refining, infrastructure, and local job creation. With Turkey, Switzerland and Italy already identified as key buyers of Moroccan gold, the discovery is expected to open new trade channels with other European and Middle Eastern markets.
The company behind the project, OLAH Palace Trading, has emphasized its long-term strategy of building responsible partnerships to ensure the resource is developed sustainably. Head of Business Development, Odai Nabut, expressed confidence in the transformative potential of the discovery:
“These discoveries validate what we’ve long believed about Morocco’s untapped resources. With grades of this magnitude and such strong early indicators, we see the potential not just for a single mine but for a broader transformation of Morocco’s role in Africa’s gold economy. This could be a truly historic development that secures value for decades to come.”
Industry insiders add that Morocco’s stable political environment, strong trade links with Europe, and commitment to economic modernization make it an attractive jurisdiction for future investment in the gold sector particularly when compared to regions of Africa that continue to face higher geopolitical risks.
This discovery resonates beyond Morocco’s borders. Experts see it as part of a broader trend in which underexplored corners of Africa are emerging as new engines of resource growth. While West Africa remains the continent’s historic gold hub, new frontiers such as Sudan, Ethiopia, and now Morocco are beginning to attract significant attention.
The Guelmim find could therefore serve as a catalyst for further investment across North Africa, a region often overshadowed by southern and western producers. With African gold demand projected to rise steadily due to both industrial uses and safe haven investment demand, Morocco’s emergence as a serious player could alter supply dynamics on the continent.
Over the next several years, OLAH Palace Trading will focus on delineating the resource through expanded drilling, feasibility studies, and eventually pilot production programs. If results continue to align with early sampling, Morocco could enter Africa’s top 10 producers within a decade. Early-stage resource modeling suggests that Guelmim could sustain long-term production with output measured in millions of ounces across its lifecycle.
For Morocco, long reliant on phosphates as its export backbone, this represents nothing short of an economic diversification milestone. The discovery not only strengthens the nation’s mining sector but also underpins Morocco’s growing reputation as one of Africa’s most important emerging resource economies.
