Botswana's Golden Gamble: North Arrow Doubles Down in Kraaipan

VANCOUVER, BC – February 27, 2026 – North Arrow Minerals has officially launched an aggressive, technology-driven exploration campaign in southern Botswana, doubling its investment in the highly prospective Kraaipan Gold Project. Backed by a newly approved US$2.3 million budget, the company is moving swiftly to build upon a series of high-grade gold discoveries made in 2025 that have ignited interest in a region historically obscured by the sands of the Kalahari.

The 2026 program follows a remarkably successful US$1.2 million reconnaissance campaign last year that identified six distinct gold-anomalous areas. The results included a standout drill intercept of 1.56 grams per tonne (g/t) gold over a 30-meter stretch from the surface at a location dubbed "Target A." More recently, follow-up surface prospecting at the same target yielded spectacular results, with one rock chip sample assaying an exceptionally high 68.5 g/t gold. These findings have provided the company with compelling evidence that a significant gold system may lie just beneath the shallow sand cover.

Unlocking a Proven Gold Belt

The Kraaipan Project isn't just a random patch of desert; it covers approximately 724 square kilometers of the northern extension of the Kraaipan Greenstone Belt. This Archean-age geological formation is a prolific host for gold deposits, most notably Harmony Gold's multi-million-ounce Kalgold Mine, located just 40 kilometers to the south in South Africa. Kalgold has been in continuous production for over 25 years, operating on relatively low grades—reporting 2025 production at an average of 0.84 g/t—which underscores the economic significance of North Arrow's 30-meter intercept grading 1.56 g/t.

"The 2025 program demonstrated that the historically underexplored Kraaipan Greenstone Belt hosts gold mineralization in potentially economic concentrations beneath shallow Kalahari sand cover," stated Eira Thomas, CEO of North Arrow. "Our focus in 2026 is to advance the best targets identified last year—beginning with Target A, where RC drilling intersected 30m grading 1.56 g/t Au across a mineralized zone exceeding 700m in strike length."

The recent surface sampling results, including the 68.5 g/t gold sample at Target A and another returning 10.7 g/t gold at Target K, have further electrified the project. While grab samples from outcrops can be selective, such high grades are powerful indicators of a fertile mineralizing system. The company has defined a 700-meter-long anomalous gold zone at Target A, which will be the immediate focus of the new drilling campaign.

Technology Piercing the Veil of Sand

For decades, the vast Kalahari sands, which cover over 80% of the greenstone belt in Botswana, have acted as a barrier to effective mineral exploration. This has left the region largely untested, creating a unique opportunity for companies equipped with modern technology. North Arrow's partnership with Rockman Resources, and its operator Mineral Services, has been a key differentiator, leveraging over 25 years of in-country experience and a suite of proprietary exploration tools.

This advanced toolkit includes high-resolution magnetic surveys flown by drones (UAVs), which can map the geological structures hidden beneath the sand. This data is then fed into machine learning algorithms to identify and prioritize drill targets with greater accuracy. On the ground, a specialized mobile reverse circulation (RC) drilling platform, optimized for Kalahari conditions, allows for rapid and cost-effective testing of these targets. The efficiency is striking: in 2025, the team completed 175 drill holes, averaging three per day, a pace that would be difficult to match with conventional methods.

This tech-forward approach not only accelerates the pace of discovery but also dramatically improves capital efficiency. The company believes its 2025 success was achieved at a fraction of the time and cost that a traditional exploration program would have required, providing a "proof of concept" for their exploration model.

A Methodical, Multi-Phase Assault

With nearly double the funding of last year, the US$2.3 million 2026 program is designed to be both aggressive and systematic. It will unfold in a series of four drilling rotations, each lasting approximately three weeks.

The first two rotations will consist of angled RC drilling at the highest-priority targets from 2025—A, AE, AF, and K. This angled approach is designed to properly intersect the subvertical, structurally-controlled mineralization suspected of hosting the high-grade gold. Drilling commenced in early March at Target A, starting near the 68.5 g/t surface sample before testing the continuity of the 700-meter mineralized zone.

The third rotation will shift to a regional focus, employing vertical RC drilling to test new targets identified by geophysical surveys in areas completely obscured by sand cover. This phase aims to expand the discovery pipeline across the vast property. The final rotation will be dedicated to aggressively following up on the best results from the earlier phases, with the potential to incorporate diamond core drilling to gain more detailed geological information on the most promising discoveries.

Riding a Wave of Investor Confidence

North Arrow's ambitious plans are launching into a favorable market. Gold prices remain robust in early 2026, and investor sentiment towards the junior mining sector is decidedly bullish, particularly for companies demonstrating clear, high-grade potential in stable jurisdictions like Botswana. This positive climate was reflected in North Arrow's recent financing efforts. In January, the company upsized a planned private placement from C$3 million to C$4 million due to strong investor demand, ensuring its 2026 program is fully funded with capital to spare.

The growing buzz around the Kraaipan Greenstone Belt is not limited to North Arrow. Other exploration companies are also ramping up activities in the area, reinforcing the belief that the region represents one of southern Africa's most exciting, underexplored gold frontiers. With a clear strategy, cutting-edge technology, and cash in the bank, North Arrow is well-positioned to lead the charge in determining if the high-grade glimmers found in 2025 are the prelude to Botswana's next major gold district.