Oil remains one of the biggest economic lifelines for several African nations, and August 2025 once again highlighted the continent’s major players in the OPEC production lineup. According to OPEC’s latest report, five African members stood out as the top contributors to the bloc’s output during the month.

Despite the fluctuations in global oil prices, production from these countries continued to generate critical government revenue and underpin GDP growth. The OPEC Reference Basket (ORB) averaged $69.73 per barrel in August, down by $1.24 compared to July. Brent crude also dipped by $2.29 to $67.26, while WTI slid by $3.22 to $64.02.

Globally, oil demand remains strong. For 2025, consumption is projected to rise by about 1.3 million barrels per day (mb/d) compared to last year, with most of that increase coming from non-OECD countries. The forecast for 2026 shows an even larger growth of 1.4 mb/d.

OPEC also expects non-member nations outside the Declaration of Cooperation to boost liquids production by around 0.8 mb/d in 2025, adding further supply to the market.

For Africa, however, the focus remains on steady output from its biggest OPEC participants. These five countries led the continent’s oil production in August, reaffirming their position as key suppliers to global energy markets.