Stellar Africagold - District-Scale Soil Sampling Defines Further Gold Exploration Targets At Zuenoula, Cote D'ivoire

2026-03-11

TSXV - TSX Venture Exchange · Gold · Silver · Copper · Lead · Zinc · Canada

(TheNewswire)

| [](http://stellarafricagold.com/) | | |

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Vancouver, BC – March 11, 2026 – TheNewswire -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

A second gold exploration target designated as the Fifty-Five Area has been identifiedby district-scale soil sampling (1km× 1km)on Zuénoula

The Fifty-Five Area, situated 1km north of the Central Area see News Release February 5, 2026), is defined by four gold anomalous soil samples over a strike length of 2.4 km. Infill (400 m x 400 m) soil sampling of a 10 kmarea has been completed along the interpreted northeast (NE) structural trend. Assay results are pending.

In the Central Area, infill soil sampling on a 400 m × 400 m grid has been completed, with PortablePPB assay results extending the strike length of the gold anomalous sample cluster to 3.4 km.Assay results are pending.

The Central Area infill has been expanded to 20 kmto capture the potential northeast strike extension of this trend, with this additional 400 m × 400 m infill soil sampling also completed. Assay results are pending.

Infill soil sampling of a third area- the South East Corner Area– on a 400 m by 400 m grid has also been completed to investigate a favourable structural targeton the margin of a granite intrusion. Assay results are pending.

AllFifty-five Area, Central Area and South East Corner infill soil sampleswillsoon be delivered toBureau Veritas laboratory in Abidjan this week for fire assay determination of gold – a total gold extraction technique. Assay results are expected in mid to late March.

Coherent gold anomalous zones defined by these fire assay results will be infilled on a 100 m × 50 m grid as thefinal stage of soil sampling. This high density of sampling is required for target definition and drill hole planning.

[]()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 Zuénoula in Côte d’Ivoire. Pursuant to the joint venture agreement MetalsGrove, the project operator, may earn up to a 50% interest in the Zuénoula Gold Project by incurring US$3,000,000 in exploration expenditures andup 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 pace of exploration by MetalsGrove at the Zuénoula Gold Project and with the early results identifying nowthree areas of anomalous gold in the soil sampling. This is indeed very encouraging. I extend our continuing thanks to the MetalsGrove exploration team on this successful start.”

[]()MetalsGrove Management Commentary

[]()MetalsGrove Managing Director and CEO, Mr Lijun Yang, commented:

[]()“The identification of a second gold target at the Fifty-Five Areahighlights the scale and growing prospectivity of our Zuénoula PR750 permit. With soil sampling already infilled on a 400 m × 400 m grid and with all assay results pending, we are rapidly advancing this emerging target while continuing to expand the footprint of gold anomalism at the Central Area.

[]()The recent PortablePPB results from the Central Area have extended the gold anomalous strike length to 3.4 km and the area of infill sampling increased to 20 km2to capture the potential northeastern extension of this northeast-trending zone of gold anomalism. All infill sampling has been completed. Fire assay results from MSALabs in Yamoussoukro will provide a more definitive assessment of gold tenor and support detailed 100 m × 50 m follow-up sampling aimed at planning drill targets.”

[]()Zuénoula Soil Sampling Update

[]()Stellar is pleased to announce is pleased to announce that work on the Zuénoula permit has defined three exploration target areas that have been infilled with soil samples on 400m × 400m grids (Figure 1). Assay results are pending.

[]()1.The Fifty-five Area: A northeast-trending alignment of three gold anomalous soil samples (11 55dU) extends over 2.4km within a 10 km2area. Limited fire assay analysis also returned a soil sample assaying 23ppb Au. Infill sampling (400m x 400m) has been completed, and samples will be transported to Bureau Veritas in Abidjan for fire assay analysis of all samples this week.

[]()2.The Central Area: A northeast-trending alignment of seven gold anomalous soil samples (11 50dU) extends over 3.4km within a 20 km2area. Limited fire assay analysis returned soil samples assaying 49ppb Au (PortablePPB 33 dU) and 49 ppb (PortablePPB 19dU). Infill sampling (400m x 400m) has been completed, and samples will be transported to Bureau Veritas in Abidjan for fire assay analysis of all samples this week. A geologist is also currently mapping and collecting rock-chip samples for analysis.

[]()3.The South East Corner: A favourable structural target located along contact of an interpreted elliptical granitehas been covered by higher density sampling even though broad-spaced 1km x 1km soil samples did not return anomalous soil assays. Infill sampling (400m x 400m) has been completed, and samples will be transported to Bureau Veritas in Abidjan for fire assay analysis of all samples this week.

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[]()Figure 1. Zuénoula soil sampling progress and

[]()exploration targets (3) on aeromagnetic image (RTP)

The Fifty-Five Area,located1km north ofthe Central Area,is defined by four gold anomalous soil samples over a strike length at 2.4 km.Infill (400 m x 400 m) soil sampling of a10 km²area has been completed along an interpreted northeast (NE) structural trend. All infill soil assay results are pending.

Infill sampling of the initial 13km2CentralArea has been completed on a 400 m × 400 m grid and PortablePPB assays received (Figure 1). These results further increase the strike-length of theCentral Areagold anomalous cluster (trend) to 3.4km. The Central Areahas now been expanded to 20km2to cover the NE-strike of this potential gold anomalous trend. Sampling has been completed and assay results are pending.

Infill soil sampling of theSouth East Corner Areaon a 400 m × 400 m grid to investigate a favourable structural target located along the margin of an interpreted elliptical granite intruded into mafic volcanics has also been completed. Assay results are pending.

AllFifty-five Area, Central Area and South East Corner infill soil sampleswillsoon be delivered toBureau Veritas in Abidjan for fire assay determination of gold. Coherent gold anomalous zones defined by these fire assay results will then be used to plan the final stage of infill, with soils collected on a 100m × 50m grid. This density of sampling is required for target definition and drill hole planning.

About the Zuénoula Gold Project

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 in Côte d’Ivoire. The Zuénoula permit isstrategically situated along the Abujar–Napié gold trendwithin the Oumé–Fetekro Birimian greenstone belt in central Côte d’Ivoire, 100km north of the Abujar Gold Mineand160 km south of the Napié Gold Deposit.

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[]()Figure 2. Geology Map of the Central West Gold Project and Historical Exploration Results1

[]()1Historical BLEG results sourced from African Gold Limited Annual Report 2023; Historical Auger drilling result sourced from Ricca Resources Limited Financial Report for half year ending 31 December 2021.

[]()QA/QC

JORC Code, 2012 Edition – Table 1

[]()Section 1-Sampling Techniques and Data

Nature and quality of sampling (e.g. cut channels, random chips, or specific specialied industry standard measurement tools appropriate to the minerals under investigation, such as downhole gamma sondes, or handheld XRF instruments, etc.) These examples should not be taken as limiting the broad meaning of sampling.

Include reference to measures taken to ensure sample representivity and the appropriate calibration of any measurement tools or systems used.

Aspects of the determination ofmineralisation that are Material to the Public Report.

In cases where ‘industry standard’ work has been done, this would be relatively simple (e.g. ‘reverse circulation drilling was used to obtain 1 m samples from which 3 kg was pulverised to produce a 30 g charge for fire assay’). In other cases, more explanation may be required, such as where there is coarse gold that has inherent sampling problems. Unusual commodities or mineralisation types (e.g. submarine nodules) may warrant disclosure of detailed information. | No drilling has been undertaken on Vavoua PR-454.

Soil samples collected for Vavoua PR-454 are to be assayed by fire assay at Bureau Veritas laboratory in Côte d’Ivoire, and selected samples analyses by PortablePPB at the SEMS field compound in Zuénoula.

SOIL SAMPLING STAGES

Stage 1:Initial, permit-wide, broad-spaced soil sampling on an 800m x 800m grid

Stage 2:Gold anomalous clusters and trends defined by multiple anomalous soil samples are then infilled with soil samples collected on 400m x 400m grid.

Stage 3:Coherent gold soil anomalies are then infilled with soil samples collected on a 100m x 50m grid

All samples are to be analysed by fire assay at Bureau Veritas laboratoryin Côte d’Ivoire, with selected samples analysed by PortablePPB at the SEMS compound in Zuénoula.

The assay results from this higher-density sampling (100m x 50m) permit trenching and drilling to be planned.

SOIL SAMPLING PROCEDURES

The highly experienced consulting group SEMS Exploration Services (SEMS) has been contracted by MGA to conduct the soil sampling

Up to 4 sampling crews may be active

The MGA Exploration Manager was onsite at the start of the field program to instruct the sampling crew on the Standard Sampling Procedure required by MGA

MGA provided SEMS Exploration Services with an Excel table listing the designated sample point locations using WGS-84 UTM zone 29N coordinates

Each soil sample is collected from within 50 metres of the designated sample point, with the actual sample point then recorded

At each sample point: 1) the organic rich soil is brushed away, 2) a 40cm deep hole dug and the sample collected by taking a channel-cut along the bottom 20cm of the hole, 3) 1000g of the minus 2mm sieved fraction of each sample is collected from the sample point, 4) gold is determined by fire assay (LDL 2ppb) and with selected samples also analysed by PortablePPB (LDL ~6dU )

Duplicate samples are collected every 20th sample, certified reference material (CRM) inserted every 20th samples and blanks inserted every 20th sample

PortablePPB is a partial gold extraction technique, whereas fire assay is a total gold extraction technique

Samples are processed and stored at the secure SEMS field compound in Zuénoula. | | Drilling Techniques | -

Drill type (e.g. core, reverse circulation, open-hole hammer, rotary air blast, auger, Bangka, sonic, etc.) and details (e.g. corediameter,tripleorstandard tube,depthofdiamond tails, face-sampling bit or other type, whether core is oriented and if so, by what method, etc). | -

No drilling has been undertaken. | | DrillSample Recovery | -

Method of recording and assessing core 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,andwhether samplebias may have occurred due to preferential loss/gain of fine/coarsematerial. | -

No drilling has been undertaken. | | Logging | -

Whether core and chip samples have been geologically and geotechnicallyloggedtolevel of detail to support appropriate Mineral Resource estimation, miningstudiesandmetallurgical studies.

Whether loggingisqualitativeor quantitative in nature. Core (or costean, channel, etc.) photography.

Thetotallengthandpercentage oftherelevantintersections logged. | -

No drilling has been undertaken.

Soil samples are comprehensively logged for a range of parameters including colour, soil horizon, sample weight, slope, dominant grain size (clay, silt, sand), general topography, residual or transported, proximity to artisanal workings, other ground disturbances such as field plowing, and general land use (grassland, plantation, crop, etc.). | | Sub-samplingTechniquesand Sample Preparation | -

Ifcore,whethercutorsawnand whether quarter, half or all core taken.

Ifnon-core,whetherriffled,tube sampled, rotary split, etc. and whether sampled wet or dry.

For all sample types, the nature, quality and appropriateness of the sample preparation technique.

Quality control procedures adopted for all sub-sampling stagestomaximiserepresentivity of samples.

Measures taken to ensure that thesamplingisrepresentativeof the in-situ material collected, including, for instance, results for field duplicate/second-half sampling.

Whethersample sizes are appropriate to the grain size of the material being sampled. | -

No drilling has been undertaken.

The 1000g -2mm soil fraction collected in the field is riffle split at the SEMS field compound in Zuénoula into two 500g sub-samples

Selected 500g sub-samples are analysed by PortablePPB

All 500g sub-samples are analysed by fire assay at Bureau Veritas in Abidjan

The two 500g splits (sub-samples) of the initial 1000g sample are obtained using a riffle splitter to ensure adequate mixing of the 1000g field sample. | | Quality of AssayData and Laboratory Tests | -

The nature, quality and appropriateness of the assaying andlaboratoryproceduresused and whether the technique is considered partial or total.

Forgeophysical tools,spectrometers, handheld XRF instruments,etc.,theparameters used in determining the analysis, including instrument make and model, reading times, calibrationfactorsapplied,and

theirderivation,etc.

Nature of quality control procedures adopted (e.g. standards, blanks, duplicates, externallaboratorychecks)and whether acceptable levels of accuracy (i.e. lack of bias) and precision have beenestablished. | PORTABLE-PPB ANALYSIS

Selected 500g sub-samples are analysed using the patented detectORE™ process developed by Portable PPB Pty Ltd in Australia

The process involves a partial extraction using the safe, non-dangerous GLIX-20® reagent that is akin to traditional BLEG (which uses a cyanide leach)

The 500g samples are added to the reagent and tumbled for 12 hours, into which the detectORE™ collector device had been inserted

After the bottle roll process has completed, the collector device is removed, washed, and dried prior to reading on a Vanta M (VMR) pXRF loaded with Evident/Olympus’s detectORE™ mode

The entire process is managed using 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 quantities 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 ofSamplingand Assaying | -

The verification of significant intersections by either independent or alternative company personnel.

Theuseoftwinnedholes.

Documentationofprimarydata, data entry procedures, data verification, data storage (physical and electronic) protocols.

Discussanyadjustmentstoassay data. | -

The detectORE™ process is checked in accordance with PortablePPB’s recommended processes and procedures. These include the insertion of 400g reference materials (RMs).

The RMs comprise mixtures of commercial Certified Reference Materials (CRMs) and barren regolith material. The RMs are of 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.

FIRE ASSAY ANALYSIS

All samples are analysed for gold by fire at Bureau Veritas laboratory in Cote d’Ivoire

The original 1000g -2mm sample collected in the field is split into two 500g sub-samples using a riffle splitter. One 500g sub-sample is kept as a reference sample and may be used for PortablePPB analysis. The second 500g sub-sample is used for gold analysis by fire assay (Lab Code: FE450, LDL 2ppb)

At the laboratory, the 500g -2mm sub-sample is dried and pulverised to 85% passing 75 microns.

This sample pulp is then mixed with a combination of chemical reagents, which when heated to high temperatures results in the formation of a lead button and slag. The lead button that contains the precious metals (including gold) is cupelled at high temperature. The lead is adsorbed by the cupel leaving behind a bead that contains the precious metals.

The bead is acid digested and analysed by AAS, with a lower detection limit of 2ppb Au | | Locationof DataPoints | -

Accuracy and qualityof surveys used to locate drillholes (collar and down-hole surveys), trenches, mine workings and other locations used in Mineral Resource estimation.

Specification of the grid system used.

Quality and adequacy of topographic control. | -

A handheld GPS is used to locate the soil data positions, with a +/-5m vertical and horizontal accuracy

Sample locations (UTM WGS-84 zone 29N) and sample descriptions are noted on a standard form in the field and entered on a computer of an evening

GPS measurements of sample positions are sufficiently accurate for exploration targeting of gold systems. | | Data Spacingand Distribution | -

Data spacing for reporting Exploration Results.

Whether the data spacing and distribution is sufficient to establish the degree of geologicalandgradecontinuity appropriate for the Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve estimation procedure(s) and classifications applied.

Whethersamplecompositing hasbeenapplied. | -

An 800m by 800m offset grid pattern has been adopted for the entire project area, excluding areas of irrigated sugar cane and villages.

Broad-spaced soil sampling (800m by 800m) and low level gold fire assay analysis (LDL 2ppb) is considered an effective technique for identifying and delimiting gold anomalous clusters and trends, which are then followed up with higher density sampling at 400m 400m and 100m x 50m as the next phases of sampling ahead of trenching and drill testing of coherent gold soil anomalies. | | Orientation of data in relation to geologicalal structure | -

Whether the orientation of sampling achieves unbiased sampling of possible structures and the extent to which this is known, considering the deposit type.

Stellar Africagold - District-Scale Soil Sampling Defines Further Gold Exploration Targets At Zuenoula, Cote D'ivoire

Earlier from Stellar AfricaGold Inc.