Stellar AfricaGold - District-Scale Soil Sampling Defines First Gold Exploration Target at Zuénoula, Cote D’Ivoire
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)
| Criteria | JORC Code Explanation | Commentary |
| Sampling | • Nature and quality of sampling (e.g. cut | No drilling has been undertaken. The current |
| Techniques | channels, random chips, or specific | ASX announcement presents initail results of a |
| specialized industry standard | soil geochemical survey being undertaken on | |
| measurement tools appropriate to the | the Zuénoula project PR-750 in Cote d’Ivoire. | |
| minerals under investigation, such as | ||
| down hole gamma sondes, or handheld | Soil Sampling (PortablePPB): Initail broad- | |
| XRF instruments, etc.) These examples | spaced (1km by 1km) soil sampling supported | |
| should not be taken as limitnig the broad | by rapid field analysis of samples using the | |
| meaning of sampling. | PortablePPB analytical technique is being | |
| • Include reference to measures taken to | undertaken so that gold anomalous trends can | |
| ensure sample representivity and the | be identified and infill sampling conducted to | |
| appropriate calibration of any | define 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 relatively | the start of the field program to instruct the |
| simple (e.g. ‘reverse circulation drilling | sampling crew on the Standard Sampling | |
| was used to obtain 1 m samples from | Procedure 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 sampling | metres of the designated sample point, with | |
| problems. Unusual commoditeis or | the actual sample point then recorded | |
| mineralisation types (e.g. submarine | • At each sample point: 1) the organic rich soil | |
| nodules) may warrant disclosure of | is 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. |
| Techniques | open-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. |
| Recovery | and 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 support | a range of parameters including color, soil | |
| appropriate Mineral Resource | horizon, sample weight, slope, dominant | |
| estimation, mining studies and | grain size (clay, silt, sand), general | |
| metallurgical studies. | topography, residual or transported, | |
| • Whether logging is qualitative or | proximity to artisanal workings, other | |
| quantitative in nature. Core (or | ground disturbances such as field plowing, | |
| costean, channel, etc.) photography. | and general land use (grassland, plantation, | |
| • The total length and percentage of the | crop, etc.). | |
| relevant intersections logged. | ||
| Sub-sampling | • If core, whether cut or sawn and | • No drilling has been undertaken. |
| Techniques and | whether quarter, half or all core taken. | • The 800g -2mm soil fraction collected in the |
| Sample | • If non-core, whether riffled, tube | field is riffle split at the field laboratory in |
| Preparation | sampled, rotary split, etc. and whether | Zuénoula 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 the | when 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 maximise | obtained 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 and | appropriateness of the assaying and | detectORE™ process developed by Portable |
| Laboratory Tests | laboratory procedures used and | PPB 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 make | and tumbled for 12 hours, into which the |
| and model, reading times, calibration | detectORE™ collector device had been | |
| factors applied, and | inserted | |
| their derivation, etc. | • Afetr the bottle roll process has completed, | |
| • Nature of quality control procedures | the 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 of | detectORE™ 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 and | intersections by either independent or | accordance with PortablePPB’s |
| Assaying | alternative company personnel. | recommended processes and procedures. |
| • The use of twinned holes. | These include the insertion of 400g | |
| • Documentation of primary data, data | reference 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 Points | locate drillholes (collar and down-hole | data positoins, with a +/-5m vertical and |
| surveys), trenches, mine workings and | horizontal 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 topographic | computer 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 |
| and | Results. | over the permit area, excluding areas of |
| Distribution | • Whether the data spacing and | irrigated sugar cane, is considered an |
| distribution is sufficient to establish the | efefctvie technique for identifying and | |
| degree of geological and grade | delimiting gold anomalous trends, which are | |
| continuity appropriate for the Mineral | then followed up with higher density | |
| Resource and Ore Reserve estimation | sampling, with 400m by 400m as the next | |
| procedure(s) and classifications applied. | phase and then further infill as required to | |
| • Whether sample compositing has been | define well constrained drill targets. | |
| applied. | ||
| Orientation | • Whether the orientation of sampling | • The sample location configuration has been |
| of data in | achieves unbiased sampling of possible | deliberately planned to avoid directoinal |
| relation to | structures and the extent to which this is | bias. |
| geological al | known, 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 |
| security | security. | 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 |
| Reviews | sampling 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.)
| Criteria | JORC Code Explanation | Commentary |
| Mineral | • Type, reference name/number, location and | • Following the acquisition of the three |
| Tenement and | ownership, including agreements or | Gemica joint venture (JV) permits in Côte |
| Land Tenure | material issues with third parties such as | d’Ivoire, MetalsGrove entered into |
| Status | joint ventures, partnerships, overriding | another JV with TSX-V listing company |
| royalties, native title interests, historical | Stellar AfricaGold Inc. (Stellar) for its PR- | |
| sites, wilderness or national park and | 750 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 time | period, renewable for two additional | |
| of reporting, along with any known | three-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 Other | exploration 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 |
| Information | the understanding of the exploration | release. |
| 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 |
| Methods | averaging techniques, maximum and/or | applied 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. |
| Between | respect to the drillhole angle is known, its | |
| Mineralisation | nature 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 |
| Reporting | Exploration Results is not practicable, | by the MGA Exploration Manager who has |
| representative reporting of both low and | more than 40 years of gold exploration | |
| high grades and/or widths should be | experience. MGA assay results are also | |
| practiced, avoiding misleading reporting of | interpreted 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 Data | material, should be reported, including (but | information 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, or | 10 January 2026 and at the 26 January | |
| depth extensions, or large-scale step-out | 2026, 200 samples of the 320 planned | |
| drilling). | samples had been collected, with 124 | |
| • Diagrams clearly highlighting the areas of | assayed for gold by PortablePPB. | |
| possible extensions, including the main | • Field programs will be sequentially | |
| geological interpretations and future | initaited on the adjoining Gemica JV | |
| drilling areas, provided this information is | permits, 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.