Lithium Africa Defines a Second Spodumene Trend in Cote d'Ivoire: Kanien Trend Rock Samples up to 1.98% Li2O Highlight Discovery Potential

Lithium Africa Corp. announced rock sampling results from its Agboville license in Côte d'Ivoire, identifying the "Kanien Trend," a second primary spodumene pegmatite trend within the Adzopé District. Nineteen samples returned up to 1.98% Li2O, with 14 of the 19 samples grading above 1.0% Li2O. The trend extends approximately 2.8 km along a sheared muscovite granite and lies on strike with Atlantic Lithium’s Rubino license samples, defining a roughly 7 km corridor of spodumene occurrences.

The company also provided an update on its ongoing 2,000 m RC drill program at the Saby Trend. Work was paused for the rainy season after 1,137 m had been completed, with assay results targeted for Q4 2026.

Regarding quality assurance and quality control, the company disclosed that some standards returned outside tolerance and field blanks showed slightly elevated Li values, though precision is monitored via lab check assays. Minor administrative share issuances were noted for consultant fees and debt settlement, classified as immaterial relative to the exploration results.

Lithium Africa Corp. (LAF) announced the Kanien Trend discovery, an incremental step following the June and July 2026 announcements that drilling had commenced at both the Springbok and Adzopé projects. The results validate the district-scale potential of the Adzopé license but remain in the early-stage exploration phase. No drill results or resource estimates are attached to this surface sampling.

The news aligns with management's stated strategy of systematic, capital-efficient exploration across its African portfolio. It does not alter the company's near-term financial outlook or trigger immediate capital raising. Given the pre-revenue status and the routine nature of grassroots exploration updates, the market impact is expected to be limited and consistent with historical price action on similar announcements.

Lithium Africa Corp. is a pre-revenue exploration company focused on hard rock lithium assets across six African jurisdictions, including South Africa, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Morocco, and Zimbabwe. The company operates through a 50/50 joint venture with GFL International Co. Ltd. (Ganfeng Lithium), which matches exploration spend on JV projects.

Flagship projects include the Springbok Project in South Africa, a past-producing spodumene mine featuring a 30,000-tonne stockpile and a 1,675 km² land package, as well as the Adzopé Project in Côte d'Ivoire, which is in early-stage grassroots exploration with active trenching and drilling. The company transitioned to a public listing via a qualifying transaction in February 2026, trading on the TSX Venture Exchange (LAF), Frankfurt Stock Exchange (6MQ), and OTCQB (LTAFF).