Right from ancient Egypt through to the 11th to the 15th centuries A.D. that Africans began making glass, the continent has, in recent times, been making some profits from the industry.
This follows a structural transformation that has shifted productive resources on the continent from agriculture and mining to manufacturing, a move which has benefited most countries tremendously.
Generally, without glass manufacture, the building and motor industry would not exist as efficiently as they do. Made principally from silica, glass is a hardened material that is characteristically transparent but can also be produced in many different colours and textures.
Bottles, jars, mirrors, architectural glass, stained glass windows, glass tiles, eyeglasses are some of the glass-related products that are in increased demand.
Glass manufacturing plants across the world are using cutting edge technology to meet the demands of various sectors including infrastructure, bio-medical, healthcare and construction.
According to an article by World’s Top Exports, glass and glassware exports by country totalled $76.5 billion in 2018. Among continents, Europe sold the highest dollar worth of exported glass and glassware valued at $33.5 billion, followed by Asian exporters and North America.
Africa, however, did not do badly. The following are the top 10 African countries that were ranked among a list of 200 countries worldwide that exported the highest dollar value worth of glass and glassware in 2018:
