We study the nonlinear effects of raw material prices measured by that of cotton product on the economic growth of a sample of African countries for the period of 1991–2019. Using the procedure for determining endogenous thresholds (Hansen, 1999) [Threshold effects in non-dynamic panels: Estimation, testing, and inference. Journal of Econometrics, 93, 345–368], the study revealed that raw material prices positively affect economic growth when the prices reach a threshold above 96.1. These results indicate that to be effective, any economic policy measure aimed at accelerating the economic growth of these commodity-dependent countries must take into account the level of raw material price indices, the quality of governance and the level of financial development.