Can gains from international trade allow for a modernization of the export structure in Africa? Answering this question is the main objective of this study. In other words, it is to analyze the impact of terms of trade on export sophistication. The study covers a sample of 46 African countries over the period 2002-2014. Ordinary Least Squares and System GMM estimates show that terms of trade positively affect export sophistication. The result remains robust to the inclusion of additional variables, to the use of economic complexity index as an alternative index of sophistication. Moreover, our results show that the effect differs according to the countries' production structure. Indeed, the export of oil products has no effect on sophistication while the export of goods has a weak effect on the export upgrading. In addition, exports of manufactured goods have a positive and very significant effect on export sophistication. Our analyses allow us to identify two main channels through which terms of trade are likely to influence export sophistication: the channel of productive investment and the channel of exchange rate devaluation.