AI Exploration: Targets Defined, Sampling to Begin

Summary by AI BETAClose X

Botswana Minerals plc has announced an AI-driven exploration update, identifying nine new copper target areas on its southern licences, with one priority target adjacent to historic copper workings. Field sampling is set to commence on the northern licences to define specific drill sites. This progression from large-scale data analysis, which initially covered approximately 95,000 km², to focused field testing aims to rapidly narrow down exploration corridors towards drill targets, building on previous findings of a 9.5 km copper anomaly and a 20 km silver corridor.

Disclaimer*

Botswana Minerals PLC
04 September 2026
 

 

4th September 2026

Botswana Minerals plc

("Botswana Minerals" or the "Company")

AI Exploration Update: Southern Targets Defined;

Northern Field Sampling Set to Begin

Highlights

·   While our AI analysis continues to identify significant opportunities, we are moving to refine the identified targets into drill sites.

·   Field sampling on the Company's Northern licences is about to begin, to define specific drill sites.

  • Our AI-driven analysis on our Southern licences has defined a further nine copper target areas.
  • One priority southern target is directly adjacent to historic copper workings

 

John Teeling, Chairman of Botswana Minerals, commented:

"We are progressing our AI targets to drilling sites. We started with a very large Botswana database, used it to secure prospective ground and have progressively narrowed the search. In the north we are moving to sample the best target areas, to define drill sites. In the south, analysis has identified further copper prone corridors with one target close to known historical copper mineralisation."

Summary

Botswana Minerals plc, the London AIM and Botswana Stock Exchange-listed exploration company focused on copper and strategic minerals in Botswana, is pleased to provide an update on its AI-assisted exploration programme across its north-west (Ngamiland) Botswana licences.

The programme is now moving from large-scale data analysis into increasingly focused field testing. AI has been used to bring together decades of exploration information and identify where the strongest evidence for mineralisation occurs. Fieldwork will now test those areas on the ground and progressively and rapidly narrow them towards drill targets.

Progress from Data to Field Targets

The Company's current copper and polymetallic programme began with an AI review of its extensive Botswana database, covering approximately 95,000 km². This work led to the award in January 2026 of eight prospecting licences covering approximately 7,000 km² in north-west Botswana.

In April 2026, the Company reported the first detailed results from the new licences, including a copper anomaly extending approximately 9.5 km, a silver corridor of around 20 km and a 2.4 km lead-zinc zone. In June, further AI review of historical records identified chalcopyrite - a primary copper sulphide, together with other copper minerals in historical drill core. These results provided direct evidence that copper mineralisation occurs within the broader licence area.

Southern Licences - Latest AI Analysis

The latest phase of work has concentrated on the southern portion of the licence portfolio. By combining historical information, geochemistry, geology and geophysics, the Company has identified a further group of exploration corridors rather than isolated anomalies. Across the current eastern Ngamiland study area, the Company has now defined nine principal corridors.

One southern target is of particular interest because historical boreholes immediately to the south recorded copper oxide and copper carbonate mineralisation. The relevant historical drill core has also been located and will be examined as the programme progresses.

The southern interpretation may also have wider regional significance. Published geological work suggests that parts of north-west Botswana may represent an eastward continuation of Namibia's Matchless Belt beneath Kalahari cover. The Matchless Belt hosts 18 known base-metal sulphide deposits. Geological and geophysical features identified on parts of the Company's ground may support this interpretation, providing an additional exploration hypothesis to test. This relationship has not yet been proven, and no inference is made as to the presence, size or grade of mineralisation on the Company's licences.

Northern Licences - Field Sampling About to Begin

On the northern licences, the programme is moving into the field. Sampling will begin over the highest-priority target areas identified by the earlier AI, geochemical, and historical-data analysis. The purpose is straightforward: reduce broad exploration corridors to smaller, better-defined targets that can be ranked for drilling.

New field data will be combined with the existing geophysics, historical drilling information and available drill core. The Company will use this work to concentrate exploration expenditure on the strongest targets and determine which should advance to drill testing.

Next Steps (funded from existing cash resources)

• commence targeted field sampling on the northern licences;

• test and refine the newly defined southern corridors;

• examine and re-log relevant historical drill core; and

• integrate new field data with geophysics and AI interpretation to rank targets for drilling.

Further announcements will be made as the exploration programme progresses.

Ends

Enquiries

Botswana Minerals PLC


John Teeling, Chairman

+353 1 833 2833

James Campbell, Managing Director

+27 83 457 3724

Jim Finn, Director

+353 1 833 2833

 

Nominated & Financial Adviser
Strand Hanson Limited

+44 (0) 20 7409 3494

Ritchie Balmer


Rory Murphy


Edward Foulkes


 

Joint Broker
First Equity Limited

+44 (0) 20 7374 2212

Jason Robertson


 

Joint Broker
VSA Capital Limited

+44 (0) 20 3005 5000

Andrew Monk


Andrew Raca


 

Public Relations
BlytheRay

+44 (0) 20 7138 3204

Megan Ray


Said Izagaren


 

Teneo

+353 (0) 1 661 4055

Luke Hogg


Ciara McNamee


Molly Mooney


 

Competent Person Statement

This release has been approved by James Campbell, Managing Director of Botswana Minerals plc, a qualified geologist (Pr.Sci.Nat), a Fellow of the Geological Society of South Africa, a Fellow of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Metals and Mining (UK) and with over 40 years' experience in the mineral exploration sector.

This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) 596/2014 as it forms part of UK domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, as amended.

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