Ity, the oldest gold mine in Côte d’Ivoire, has also become its largest producer under Endeavour Mining’s ownership.
Since the company acquired the mine in 2015, output has more than quadrupled, and the site is now expected to operate for at least another decade.
In mid-November 2025, Endeavour reported that Ity produced 245,000 ounces of gold in the first nine months of the year, accounting for 26 percent of the company’s total production during the period and confirming its position as the core asset of Endeavour’s portfolio ten years after its acquisition, as seen on Ecofin Agency.
The mine’s central role for Endeavour began in September 2015, when the London-based miner reached an agreement with businessman Naguib Sawiris and his family to acquire what was already Côte d’Ivoire’s longest-running gold mine.
The deal was finalized two months later and marked a turning point that positioned Endeavour to become the leading gold producer in West Africa.
From its commissioning in 1991 until the end of 2015, Ity operated at a medium scale, yielding around 600,000 ounces of gold in its first twenty years, already one of the country’s highest production levels at the time. Under Endeavour’s ownership, the mine expanded dramatically.
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Endeavour invested extensively to transform the operation. Although Ity produced 76,000 ounces in 2016, its first full year under the company, Endeavour began construction of a carbon-in-leach plant in September 2017.
The feasibility study for the plant projected an initial cost of $412 million and an annual processing capacity of 4 million tons, with an expected average output of 235,000 ounces per year during its first five years.
The plant was commissioned in April 2019, roughly 20 months after construction began, and further enhancements later increased its processing capacity to 5 million tons per year.
These developments helped push Ity’s production to more than four times its 2016 levels, reaching a record 343,000 ounces in 2024.
Over the past five years, the mine has delivered 1.46 million ounces, including 324,000 ounces in 2023, the year it solidified its role as a key contributor to Endeavour’s broader operations.
The company expects Ity to remain in production for more than ten years, with projected average annual output exceeding 250,000 ounces.
For 2025, the mine is forecast to remain Endeavour’s largest producer, with estimates ranging from 290,000 to 330,000 ounces.
In comparison, the Houndé mine in Burkina Faso is projected to produce 230,000 to 260,000 ounces, while output from Senegal’s Sabodala-Massawa complex is estimated at 250,000 to 280,000 ounces.
Ity also plays a significant fiscal role for the Ivorian state. Over the past decade, Côte d’Ivoire has received dividends and royalties linked to the mine, in which the government and SODEMI jointly hold a 15 percent stake.
Although full data is unavailable, Endeavour reported that Ity contributed $62 million in fiscal payments in 2023 and $78 million in 2024.
In addition, the company noted that it invested $3.5 million in community programs in 2024.
As discussions intensify across West Africa regarding how mining revenues should be shared between governments and operators, Ity’s economic impact is likely to receive increased attention in the years ahead.
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Image Credit: African Business
