Friday, October 16, 2026
MiningNewsTerminal
Friday, October 16, 2026 Admin

SPX.V ·

Stellar AfricaGold - District-Scale Soil Sampling Defines First Gold Exploration Target at Zuénoula, Cote D’Ivoire

Mine Development & Operations Exploration Programs Sampling & Geoscience Results

Vancouver, BC – February 4, 2026 Stellar AfricaGold Inc. (“Stellar” or the “Company”) provides the following update on the exploration progress at the Stellar-MetalsGrove Joint Venture Zuénoula Gold Project, Cote d’Ivoire.

Highlights

  • District-scale soil sampling (1km by 1km) defines first gold exploration target on Zuénoula.
  • 13 km2 area to be infilled with higher density sampling (400m by 400m) to define the centre

of gold anomalism and trend of mineralisation.

  • Innovative PortablePPB field assay lab established in nearby town of Zuénoula to facilitate

rapid analysis of MGA samples

  • Field sampling commenced 10 January and 200 of the planned initial 320 (1km by 1km) soil

samples already collected

  • Gold anomalous cluster is located within an interpreted NE-trending belt of mafic volcanic

rocks on the NW-side of an interpreted small granite intrusion

  • Second SEMS Exploration sampling crew being mobilised to further increase sampling capacity

Stellar-MetalsGrove Joint Venture Zuénoula Gold Project, Cote d’Ivoire.

The Stellar-MetalsGrove Zuénoula Gold Project is a joint venture exploration project between Stellar’s Ivorian subsidiary Aucrest SARL (“Aucrest”) and MetalsGrove Mining Ltd. subsidiary, MetalsGrove CDI Pty Ltd (MetalsGrove) to advance Stellar’s 395.78 square kilometer early-stage exploration permit called the in Côte d’Ivoire. Pursuant to the joint venture agreement project operator MetalsGrove may earn up to a 50% interest in the Zuénoula Gold Project by incurring US$3,000,000 in exploration expenditures and up to an 80% interest in the Zuénoula Gold Project by incurring a total of US$6,000,000 in exploration expenditures. (For further details of the Stellar-MetalsGrove Joint Venture Agreement see Stellar news release December 9, 2025.)

Stellar Management Commentary

Stellar President and CEO J. François Lalonde commented:

“We are pleased with the rapid commencement of exploration by MetallsGrove at the Zuénoula Gold Project and with the early indications of anomalous gold in the soil sampling. I extend our thanks to the MetalsGrove team on the fast start to 2026 exploration.”

MetalsGrove Management Commentary

MetalsGrove Managing Director and CEO, Mr Lijun Yang, commented:

“These initial results are a great start to our 2026 field season and the application of the innovative PortablePPB assay technology eliminated the usual time delay between sample collection, receipt of assays, and the implementation of follow-up in-fill soil sampling. I am also pleased that SEMS has additional capacity to mobilise a second sampling crew to Zuénoula to further increase our rate of sampling.”

“The Zuénoula permit lies in an exploration corridor with favourable geological characteristics, including mixed volcanic and metasediment lithological sequences, complex structural features, and active artisanal workings, all of which are strong indicators of gold discovery potential.”

Zuénoula Soil Sampling Update

Stellar is pleased to announce that initial sampling on Stellar-MetalsGrove Zuénoula Gold Project has defined a significant cluster of three 1km by 1km spaced gold anomalous (15 to 33 dU) soil samples coincident with a NE-trending magnetic feature interpreted to reflect a mafic volcanic unit intruded by an elongated granite.

Field work at Zuénoula commenced four weeks after the Stellar-MetalsGrove JV agreement was signed, and of the initial 320 broadly-spaced (1km by 1km) soil samples planned, 200 have been collected and 124 assayed, with further assays to be received within the coming days. A further 90 infill samples over 13 km2 are to be collected on 400m by 400m centres to follow-up the initial gold anomalous cluster of three soil samples. Further infill will then be initiated to a point that will facilitate the effective sighting of drill holes.

Figure 1. Map illustrating progress of soil sampling on Zuénoula permit and the location of the recently defined gold anomalous soil cluster (soon to be infilled) on aeromagnetic (RTP) image Figure 2. Map illustrating progress of soil sampling on Zuénoula permit and the location of the recently defined gold anomalous soil cluster (soon to be infilled) on Google image

QA/QC

JORC Code, 2012 Edition – Table 1 Section 1- Sampling Techniques and Data (Criteria in this section apply to all succeeding sections)

CriteriaJORC Code ExplanationCommentary
Sampling• Nature and quality of sampling (e.g. cutNo drilling has been undertaken. The current
Techniqueschannels, random chips, or specificASX announcement presents initail results of a
specialized industry standardsoil geochemical survey being undertaken on
measurement tools appropriate to thethe Zuénoula project PR-750 in Cote d’Ivoire.
minerals under investigation, such as
down hole gamma sondes, or handheldSoil Sampling (PortablePPB): Initail broad-
XRF instruments, etc.) These examplesspaced (1km by 1km) soil sampling supported
should not be taken as limitnig the broadby rapid field analysis of samples using the
meaning of sampling.PortablePPB analytical technique is being
• Include reference to measures taken toundertaken so that gold anomalous trends can
ensure sample representivity and thebe identified and infill sampling conducted to
appropriate calibration of anydefine drill targets before the field crew is
measurement tools or systems used.demobilized.
• Aspects of the determination of• The highly professional and experienced
consulting group SEMS Exploration Services
mineralisation that are Material to the
has been contracted to conduct soil
Public Report.
sampling and assay the samples using their
PortablePPB mobile laboratory
In cases where ‘industry standard’ work has• The MGA Exploration Manager was onsite at
been done, this would be relativelythe start of the field program to instruct the
simple (e.g. ‘reverse circulation drillingsampling crew on the Standard Sampling
was used to obtain 1 m samples fromProcedure required by MGA
• MGA provided SEMS Exploration Services
which 3 kg was pulverised to produce a
with an Excel table listing the designated
30 g charge for fire assay’). In other
sample point locations using WGS-84 UTM
cases, more explanation may be
zone 29N coordinates
required, such as where there is coarse
• Each soil sample is collected from within 100
gold that has inherent samplingmetres of the designated sample point, with
problems. Unusual commoditeis orthe actual sample point then recorded
mineralisation types (e.g. submarine• At each sample point: 1) the organic rich soil
nodules) may warrant disclosure ofis brushed away, 2) a 15cm deep hole is dug
and the sample collected by taking a
detailed information.
channel-cut along the entire length of the
hole, 3) 800g of the minus 2mm sieved
fraction of each sample is collected from the
sample point, 4) at the field lab in Zuénoula,
a hand-held XRF (pXRF) is used to determine
and record arsenic, copper, nickel, tungsten,
iron and manganese concentrations 5) gold
is determined using the PortablePPB
technique and results are reported in dU, an
partial extracted gold measurement units
• Duplicate samples are collected every 20th
sample and given the next sample number
• No Standards other than instrument
calibration standards are used to avoid low-
level gold contamination. Gold anomalous
samples sites (+15dU Au) are to be re-
assayed using the fire assay technique at
MSALabs in Yamoussoukro
• Samples are processed and stored at the
secure SEMS field laboratory and compound
in Zuénoula.
• Assay results are reported to MetalsGrove
within 48 hours so that infill sampling can be
planned and scheduled.
Drilling• Drill type (e.g. core, reverse circulation,• No drilling has been undertaken.
Techniquesopen-hole hammer, rotary air blast,
auger, Bangka, sonic, etc.) and details
(e.g. core diameter, triple or standard
tube, depth of diamond tails, face-sampling bit
or other type, whether core is oriented and if so,
by what method, etc).
Drill Sample• Method of recording and assessing core• No drilling has been undertaken.
Recoveryand chip sample recoveries and results
assessed.
• Measures taken to maximise sample
recovery and ensure representative
nature of the samples.
• Whether a relationship exists between
sample recovery and grade, and whether
sample bias may have occurred due to
preferential loss/gain of fine/coarse
material.
Logging• Whether core and chip samples have• No drilling has been undertaken.
been geologically and geotechnically• Soil samples are comprehensively logged for
logged to a level of detail to supporta range of parameters including color, soil
appropriate Mineral Resourcehorizon, sample weight, slope, dominant
estimation, mining studies andgrain size (clay, silt, sand), general
metallurgical studies.topography, residual or transported,
• Whether logging is qualitative orproximity to artisanal workings, other
quantitative in nature. Core (orground disturbances such as field plowing,
costean, channel, etc.) photography.and general land use (grassland, plantation,
• The total length and percentage of thecrop, etc.).
relevant intersections logged.
Sub-sampling• If core, whether cut or sawn and• No drilling has been undertaken.
Techniques andwhether quarter, half or all core taken.• The 800g -2mm soil fraction collected in the
Sample• If non-core, whether riffled, tubefield is riffle split at the field laboratory in
Preparationsampled, rotary split, etc. and whetherZuénoula into two 400g sub-samples, with
sampled wet or dry.one used for PortablePPB analysis and the
• For all sample types, the nature,other used for pXRF and fire assay analysis
quality and appropriateness of thewhen the PortablePPB determination
sample preparation technique.equals or exceeds 15dU
• Quality control procedures adopted for• The 400g subset of the initail 800g sample is
all sub-sampling stages to maximiseobtained using a riffle splitetr to ensure
representivity of samples.adequate mixing of the sample.
• Measures taken to ensure that the
sampling is representative of the in-situ
material collected, including, for
instance, results for field
duplicate/second-half sampling.
• Whether sample sizes are appropriate
to the grain size of the material being
sampled.
Quality of Assay• The nature, quality and• Samples are analysed using the patented
Data andappropriateness of the assaying anddetectORE™ process developed by Portable
Laboratory Testslaboratory procedures used andPPB Pty Ltd in Australia
whether the technique is considered• The process involves a partial extraction
partial or total.using the safe, non-dangerous GLIX-20®
• For geophysical tools, spectrometers,reagent that is akin to traditoi nal BLEG
handheld XRF instruments, etc., the(which uses a cyanide leach)
parameters used in determining the• The 400g samples are added to the reagent
analysis, including instrument makeand tumbled for 12 hours, into which the
and model, reading times, calibrationdetectORE™ collector device had been
factors applied, andinserted
their derivation, etc.• Afetr the bottle roll process has completed,
• Nature of quality control proceduresthe collector device is removed, washed,
adopted (e.g. standards, blanks,and dried prior to reading on a Vanta M
duplicates, external laboratory checks)(VMR) pXRF loaded with Evident/Olympus’s
and whether acceptable levels ofdetectORE™ mode
accuracy (i.e. lack of bias) and precision• The entire process is managed using
have been established.Portable PPB’s Portable Lab Information
Management System (pLIMSTM), which
records all aspects of the sample
throughput, including QAQC and control of
the pXRF via the Application Programming
Interface to Olympus/Evident’s co-
developed detectORE™ mode.
• Certified Collector Devices (CCDs) supplied
by PortablePPB with known quantiteis of
gold ranging from 0 -1000 ppb are used to
check that the pXRF was functioning
correctly and that the instrument settings
were as intended. One CCD serves as a
blank.
• The pLIMS software confirmed the
instrument settings are correct and the VMR
is operating as expected, controlled by the
pLIMS API and Evident’s detectORE™
firmware.
Verification of• The verification of significant• The detectORE™ process is checked in
Sampling andintersections by either independent oraccordance with PortablePPB’s
Assayingalternative company personnel.recommended processes and procedures.
• The use of twinned holes.These include the insertion of 400g
• Documentation of primary data, datareference materials (RMs).
entry procedures, data verification,• The RMs comprise mixtures of commercial
data storage (physical and electronic)Certified Reference Materials (CRMs) and
protocols.barren regolith material. The RMs are of
• Discuss any adjustments to assay data.known, but uncertified gold concentration
and are used to check that the leach and
collect process has worked as intended
during the 12-hour bottle roll.
• RMs were inserted at a rate of 1 every 44
samples throughout the sample batches.
The RMs were checked against Portable
PPB’s cloud-based database and passed
within the accepted tolerance ranges for
the technique, currently 20% (3 sigma).
• The pXRF instrument settings are checked
using a range of Certified Collector Devices,
which are used to confirm the pXRF is
operating as expected. The pXRF spectral
files are reviewed by Portable PPB’s cloud
and SME procedures.
Location of• Accuracy and quality of surveys used to• A handheld GPS is used to locate the soil
Data Pointslocate drillholes (collar and down-holedata positoins, with a +/-5m vertical and
surveys), trenches, mine workings andhorizontal accuracy
other locations used in Mineral• Sample locations (UTM WGS84 zone 29N)
Resource estimation.and sample descriptions are noted on a
• Specification of the grid system used.standard form in the field and entered into a
• Quality and adequacy of topographiccomputer of an evening
control.• GPS measurements of sample positoins are
sufficiently accurate for first pass, board-
spaced sample collection.
Data Spacing• Data spacing for reporting Exploration• The 1km by 1km ofsfet soil sample patetrn
andResults.over the permit area, excluding areas of
Distribution• Whether the data spacing andirrigated sugar cane, is considered an
distribution is sufficient to establish theefefctvie technique for identifying and
degree of geological and gradedelimiting gold anomalous trends, which are
continuity appropriate for the Mineralthen followed up with higher density
Resource and Ore Reserve estimationsampling, with 400m by 400m as the next
procedure(s) and classifications applied.phase and then further infill as required to
• Whether sample compositing has beendefine well constrained drill targets.
applied.
Orientation• Whether the orientation of sampling• The sample location configuration has been
of data inachieves unbiased sampling of possibledeliberately planned to avoid directoinal
relation tostructures and the extent to which this isbias.
geological alknown, considering the deposit type.
structure• If the relationship between the drilling
orientation and the orientation of key
mineralised structures is considered to
have introduced a sampling bias, this
should be assessed and reported if
material.
Sample• The measures taken to ensure sample• 800g of the -2mm sieved fraction of soil
securitysecurity.samples are collected in plastic bags,
assigned individual sample numbers and
transported to the secure SEMS lab and
compound in Zuénoula for gold
determination by PortablePPB.
Audits or• The results of any audits or reviews of• The sampling and assay technique adopted
Reviewssampling techniques and data.by MetalsGrove has been efefctviely used in
the Vavoua-Kounahiri district, and more
widely in Cote d’Ivoire, to define drill targets
and it is considered an efefctive initail
approach for defining gold anomalous
lithogeochemical trends.

Section 2 - Reporting of Exploration Results (Criteria listed in the preceding section also apply to this section.)

CriteriaJORC Code ExplanationCommentary
Mineral• Type, reference name/number, location and• Following the acquisition of the three
Tenement andownership, including agreements orGemica joint venture (JV) permits in Côte
Land Tenurematerial issues with third parties such asd’Ivoire, MetalsGrove entered into
Statusjoint ventures, partnerships, overridinganother JV with TSX-V listing company
royalties, native title interests, historicalStellar AfricaGold Inc. (Stellar) for its PR-
sites, wilderness or national park and750 Zuénoula permit. PR-750 was granted
environmental settings.on 17 April 2024 for an initial four-year
• The security of the tenure held at the timeperiod, renewable for two additional
of reporting, along with any knownthree-year periods.
impediments to obtaining a licence to• The Zuénoula permit is located between
operate in the area.existing MetalsGrove controlled Kounahiri
West and Vavoua permits along the same
Birimian greenstone belt. The two groups
of joint venture permits (4) occupy a
combined area of 1,315 km², strategically
situated along the Abujar–Napie gold
trend within the Oumé–Fetekro Birimian
greenstone belt in central west of Côte
d’Ivoire, approximately 100 km north of
the Abujar gold mine and 160 km south of
the Napie gold project.
Exploration• Acknowledgement and appraisal of• MetalsGrove is not aware of any previous
Done by Otherexploration by other parties.systematic exploration for gold having
Parties.been conducted with the Zuénoula permit
PR-750.
Geology• Deposit type, geological setting, and style of• The Zuénoula permit (Stellar JV), together
mineralisation.with the Vavoua, Vavoua West, and
Kounahiri West permits acquired through
the Gemica JV, are in the central west of
Côte d'Ivoire at the south edge of the
West Africa craton. This region is the
world’s largest Proterozoic gold-producing
region, and Cote d’Ivoire contains 35% of
the region’s Birimian Group rocks, which
host multpile multi-million-ounce gold
deposits.
• The Gemica JV permits and Stellar JV
permit, together cover a combined area of
1,315 km², and are strategically situated
along the Abujar–Napie gold trend within
the Oumé–Fetekro Birimian greenstone
belt, and are located approximately 100
km north of the Abujar gold mine and 160
km south of the Napie gold project.
Drillhole• A summary of all information material to• No drilling results are included in this
Informationthe understanding of the explorationrelease.
results, including a tabulation of the
following information for all Material drill
holes:
• easting and northing of the drillhole collar
elevation or RL (Reduced Level – elevation
above sea level in metres) of the drillhole
collar dip and azimuth of the hole
• down hole length and interception depth
hole length.
Data Aggregation• In reporting Exploration Results, weighting• No data aggregation methods were
Methodsaveraging techniques, maximum and/orapplied to the soil sampling data.
minimum grade truncations (e.g., cutting of
high grades) and cut-of fgrades are usually
Material and should be stated.
• Where aggregate intercepts incorporate
short lengths of high-grade results and
longer lengths of low-grade results, the
procedure used for such aggregation should
be stated, and some typical examples of
such aggregations should be shown in
detail.
• The assumption used for any reporting of
metal equivalent values should be clearly
stated.
Relationship• If the geometry of mineralisation with• Not applicable.
Betweenrespect to the drillhole angle is known, its
Mineralisationnature should be reported.
Widths and
Intercept Lengths
Diagrams• Appropriate maps and sections (with scales)• See maps in the body of the report.
and tabulations of intercepts should be
included for any significant discovery being
reported. These should include, but not be
limited to, a plan view of drillhole collar
locations and appropriate sectional views.
Balanced• Where comprehensive reporting of all• The soil assay data has been interpreted
ReportingExploration Results is not practicable,by the MGA Exploration Manager who has
representative reporting of both low andmore than 40 years of gold exploration
high grades and/or widths should beexperience. MGA assay results are also
practiced, avoiding misleading reporting ofinterpreted with reference to the surface
Exploration Results.geochemical expressions of more than 15
of the major gold discoveries in Cote
d’Ivoire.
Other Substantive• Other exploration data, if meaningful and• Any meaningful data and relevant
Exploration Datamaterial, should be reported, including (butinformation have been included in the
not limited to): geological observations;body of this release.
geophysical survey results; geochemical
survey results; bulk samples – size and
method of treatment; metallurgical test
results; bulk density, groundwater,
geotechnical and rock characteristics;
potential deleterious or contaminating
substances.
Further Work• The nature and scale of planned further• The soil sampling program commenced on
work (e.g. tests for lateral extensions, or10 January 2026 and at the 26 January
depth extensions, or large-scale step-out2026, 200 samples of the 320 planned
drilling).samples had been collected, with 124
• Diagrams clearly highlighting the areas ofassayed for gold by PortablePPB.
possible extensions, including the main• Field programs will be sequentially
geological interpretations and futureinitaited on the adjoining Gemica JV
drilling areas, provided this information ispermits, with PR454 Vavoua next, and the
not commercially sensitvie.others once tenure is granted by the
Government of Cote d'Ivoire
• The images included show the location of
the soil sample sited (planned and
sampled) for the current field program.

Qualified Person

The technical information contained in this release has been reviewed and approved by Mr Robert Perring, a current member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists (MAIG) and Exploration Manager of MetalsGrove Mining Limited. Mr Perring is a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101.

About Stellar Africagold Inc.

Stellar AfricaGold Inc. is a Canadian precious metal exploration company focused on precious metals in North and West Africa, with active programs in Morocco and Côte d’Ivoire. Stellar’s principal exploration projects are its advancing gold discovery at the Tichka Est Gold Project in Morocco, and its early-stage exploration Zuénoula Gold Project in Côte d’Ivoire which is operated in Joint venture with MetalsGrove Mining Ltd subsidiary, MetalsGrove CDI Pty Ltd.

The Company is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange symbol TSX.V: SPX, the Tradegate Exchange TGAT: 6YP and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange FSX: 6YP.

The Company maintains its head office in Vancouver, BC and has a country office in Marrakech, Morocco.

Stellar’s President and CEO J. François Lalonde can be contacted at +1 514-9940654 or by email at [email protected]

Additional information is available on the Company’s website at www.stellarafricagold.com.

On Behalf of the Board

J. François Lalonde

President & CEO

This news release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws, including statements regarding the grant of PSUs, the potential vesting of such PSUs upon the achievement of future production milestones, the issuance of common shares of the Company upon settlement of vested PSUs, and the acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange.

Forward-looking statements are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the Company not achieving the production milestones described herein, changes in business plans or commodity prices, failure to obtain regulatory approvals, and the risk factors described in the Company’s most recent Management’s Discussion and Analysis and Annual Information Form, which are available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and should not be unduly relied upon. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained herein.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.