Ongwe Minerals, a Canadian mineral exploration company, has begun its maiden drilling campaign at the newly discovered Nguni prospect in Namibia, targeting a more than 6-kilometre gold-in-soil anomaly in the Northwest Damara gold belt.

The explorer has mobilised two drill rigs at Nguni, part of its Omatjete Gold Project, about 17 kilometres east of its Manga Gold Discovery. The campaign will test whether the surface anomaly extends into bedrock and establish its geological and mineralisation characteristics.

Drilling tests 6km gold anomaly

Nguni was discovered in May 2026 during regional soil sampling along the Okondeka Fault Zone, which also hosts WIA Gold’s Kokoseb gold deposit. Infill sampling has identified 50 soil samples containing more than 300 parts per billion gold, with a peak result of 1,310 parts per billion. The anomaly extends for more than 6 kilometres and remains open in several directions.

Ongwe plans 18 diamond holes covering about 3,500 metres across the higher-grade portions of Nguni. A reverse-circulation rig will drill another 1,500 metres across lower-priority targets.

Chief Executive Officer Dave Underwood said the anomaly is comparable in scale and tenor to the Kokoseb anomaly before drilling, while the company moves to test the target at depth.

The company said the initial diamond drilling will generate geological, structural and mineralogical data to guide subsequent exploration. The programme may be expanded or adjusted based on drilling, logging and assay results.

Manga adds second exploration target

Ongwe is also preparing five diamond holes covering 1,000 metres at Manga, targeting the prospect’s eastern extension.

Manga was discovered in late 2024 after regional sampling outlined an arsenic and gold anomaly about 4.5 kilometres long and up to 1 kilometre wide. Follow-up work included trenching and 11 reverse-circulation holes, with 10 returning anomalous gold.

One hole, MRC006, returned 138 metres at 0.22 grams per tonne of gold. Subsequent bedrock sampling indicated that mineralisation becomes wider and higher grade toward the east, supporting the next round of drilling.

Ongwe expands Namibia portfolio

The two prospects form part of Ongwe’s broader exploration portfolio in Namibia, alongside its Khorixas Gold Project, about 60 kilometres west of Osino Resources’ Eureka project.

Khorixas hosts the Belmont and K17 surface discoveries, with Belmont covering a reported surface gold footprint of about 12 kilometres by 6 kilometres and 18 additional target areas identified through sampling.

Ongwe’s exploration team includes personnel with previous experience at Osino Resources and Auryx Gold, whose Namibia projects include Twin Hills, Eureka and Otjikoto.

The company uses portable X-ray fluorescence, detectORE screening and laboratory fire assays during exploration. It states that detectORE provides rapid assessment of relative gold anomalism and is not used for formal mineral-resource estimation.

With drilling now underway, assay and geological results from Nguni and Manga will determine whether the identified surface anomalies translate into significant mineralisation at depth.