The Salt and Gold Trade of West Africa Did you know that salt was literally worth its weight in gold in ancient West Africa? Salt became a precious commodity in West Africa, and the trade of salt was a significant and quite lucrative business. Salt was such an important commodity that it was often traded for gold dust that came from the southern West African mines, and so was quite literally worth its weight in gold. The salt was traded by camel caravans and by boat, moving through trade centers