Lithium Africa has reported its first assay results from the Springbok lithium project in South Africa’s Northern Cape, confirming high-grade spodumene mineralisation close to surface at the Norrabees I prospect.
The results are the company’s first drill assays since becoming publicly listed and have prompted Lithium Africa to immediately expand its exploration programme at Springbok.
High-grade lithium from shallow depths
Drill hole NB1DD26-003 returned 7.5 m at 1.97% Li₂O from 18.5 m, including a higher-grade interval of 6.0 m at 2.27% Li₂O.
A second hole, NB1DD26-001, intersected 4.0 m at 2.25% Li₂O from just 2 m below surface.
“High-grade mineralization this close to surface is encouraging.”
Individual one-metre samples returned lithium oxide grades of up to 4.11% Li₂O, while other high-grade samples included 3.09% Li₂O and 2.75% Li₂O. Lithium Africa
Lithium Africa cautioned that the reported intercepts represent downhole lengths and that true widths have not yet been estimated.
Three of the first four reported drill holes contained intervals grading above 2% Li₂O. Results from additional holes remain pending.
Exploration programme expanded
Following the initial results, Lithium Africa has added another 1,000 m of diamond drilling at Norrabees I to test the mineralisation along strike and advance resource definition.
The company has also started a separate 1,000 m channel-sampling programme across 21 spodumene-bearing pegmatites at Springbok.
Three drill rigs are currently operating across the project. Lithium Africa said 2,313 m of drilling across 69 holes had been completed at the time of the announcement, with further assay results expected during the fourth quarter of 2026 and first quarter of 2027.
District-scale opportunity
Regional mapping has identified spodumene-bearing pegmatites across approximately 50 km of strike, while the current exploration programme is testing targets along a trend roughly 30 km long and 5 km wide.
Lithium Africa CEO Thomas Benson said the shallow, high-grade mineralisation was encouraging as the company evaluates the potential for a smaller-scale, high-grade starter operation at Springbok.
The company holds a majority interest in the Springbok project, which sits outside its separate African lithium joint venture with Ganfeng Lithium subsidiary GFL International.
The latest results remain early-stage exploration results rather than a declared mineral resource, but the grades and shallow mineralisation have given Lithium Africa enough confidence to expand drilling and accelerate work across the wider Springbok district.