2%+ Copper Core Potential Highlighted by Drilling at Luisha South Project

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

Trading Symbols TSXV: AFR, Frankfurt: OWW

African Metals Corporation ("AFR") (TSXV: AFR) is pleased to report that the Company has received final assay results from 4 drill holes completed on its Luisha South Project in the Katanga Provence of Democratic Republic of Congo. The results confirm the continuity and grade of mineralization identified by the June 2010 Reverse Circulation (RC) drilling program, and with LUDH025 extends the mineralization beyond current resource block model limits.

HIGHLIGHTS

    
    - 48.50 meters at 1.64% Cu, 0.26% Co from 33.3m (LUDH025)

    - 42.95 meters at 1.93% Cu, 0.60% Co from 2.3m (LUDH026)

    Including 6.15 meters at 3.23% Cu, 0.98% Co from 2.6m.

    - 22.35 meters at 2.28% Cu, 0.51% Co from 0m (LUDH032)

    Including 4.45 meters at 5.62% Cu, 1.00% Co from 7.2m.

Luisha South Project Diamond Drilling

Rubaco Sprl and DrillTek Sprl, drilling contractors, combined to complete a total of 1538.73 metres of diamond core drilling from 22 holes at the Luisha South Project in January 2011. The holes targeted down dip and southeast extensions of mineralization highlighted by the March 2010 geochemical sampling program and June 2010 RC drilling program.

The RC drill program enabled a JORC and NI43-101F compliant resource estimation of the Luisha pit mineralization, resulting in an Inferred Resource of 75,400 tonnes of copper and 23,200 tonnes of cobalt metal. Some of the holes from the RC program however either terminated within, or short of, copper and cobalt mineralized horizons, producing interpolation gaps in the resource block model. The diamond holes in the recently completed program were designed to infill the gaps and further define the extents of the mineralization.

Figure 1: Luisha diamond drill holes (blue); 10 as holes cored from surface and 12 as diamond tails to RC pre-collars; holes with reported assay results are highlighted red (4).

http://files.newswire.ca/138/map1African.doc

The reported analytical results were from four holes cored in the base of the Luisha open pit. Drill hole LUDH025 successfully tested the down dip extent of the northeast pit wall mineralization, intersecting consistent copper and cobalt mineralization from areas that are outside of the current resource block model; of significance are approximately ten intersections returning >2% copper (Figure 2).

Drill holes LUDH026, LUDH027 and LUDH032 successfully tested the near surface continuity of the northeast pit wall mineralization in locations where the June 2010 RC drilling was hindered by topographic constraints and holes were unable to be drilled. The analytical results support a potential upgrade to the resource model in this part of the pit.

Mineralization styles observed in the core included both syngenetic (bedding parallel and disseminated fine pyrite lenses and blebs replaced by chalcopyrite and carrolite) and epigenetic (fracture and vein hosted sulphides). Supergene minerals malachite and heterogenite are observed overprinting and replacing the earlier sulphide phases.

Figure 2: Luisha diamond drill hole LUDH025, successfully tested interpolation gap in the resource block model and confirmed down dip continuation of mineralization.

http://files.newswire.ca/138/map2African.doc

Anomalous intercepts based on 0.5% Cu cut off are summarised in Table 1.

    
    Hole Number  East   North   RL  Total
                                    Depth
                                    (metres)
      LUDH025   501734 8764245 1232 100.35
 
      LUDH026   501895 8764157 1230 64.25
 
      LUDH027   501871 8764183 1230 52.00
      LUDH032   501849 8764201 1230 48.20
 

    (table continues)

    Hole Number Azim      Dip       From     Width    Cu   Co
                (degrees) (degrees) (metres) (metres) %    %
      LUDH025   360       -90       9.65     9.65     2.53 0.42
                          inc.      16.40    2.90     4.28 0.51
                                    22.05    9.95     0.99 0.61
                                    33.30    48.50    1.64 0.26
                          inc.      75.20    4.80     3.37 0.06
      LUDH026   36        -60       2.30     42.95    1.93 0.60
                          inc.      2.60     6.15     3.23 0.98
                          inc.      13.40    2.70     4.48 0.26
      LUDH027   36        -60       0        28.60    1.38 0.54
      LUDH032   36        -60       0        22.35    2.28 0.51
                          inc.      7.20     4.45     5.62 1.00

Table 1: Anomalous length weighted drill intercepts, Luisha South Project.

Notes: Grid coordinates are WGS84, Zone 35 South; Azimuth is magnetic; intersections are down hole widths, not true widths; reported assays are length weighted average intercepts; intercepts are based on 0.5% copper cut off, with no top cut; reported intercepts include a maximum of two "internal waste" sample intervals of <0.5% copper; inc. = including.

All four holes intersected broad intervals of copper and cobalt sulphide minerals, mainly chalcopyrite and carrolite, with subordinate malachite and heterogenite (non-sulphide copper and cobalt minerals respectively). The mineralization is hosted within the Mines Series R2 Stratigraphy (SD, "BOMZ-RSF-RSC" and "Grey RAT"), stratigraphic horizons known to host significant mineralization at other mine sites including Tiger Resources' Kipoi mine located approximately 7.5km along strike to the southeast.

AFR will continue to report assay results from the remaining drill core samples as they become available.

Nigel Ferguson, AusIMM, President and CEO of the Company and a qualified person under National Instrument 43-101, has verified data disclosed in this release.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF AFRICAN METALS CORPORATION

"Nigel Ferguson"

Nigel Ferguson, President & CEO

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS NEW RELEASE.

This News Release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements which relate to future events. These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our or our industry's actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. While these forward-looking statements, and any assumptions upon which they are based, are made in good faith and reflect our current judgment regarding the direction of our industry, actual results will almost always vary, sometimes materially, from any estimates, predictions, projections, assumptions or other future performance suggested herein. Except as required by applicable law, the Company does not intend to update any of the forward-looking statements to conform these statements to actual results.

Drill Hole Sampling and Assaying Procedure

The Company undertakes drilling and sampling to strict guidelines. The core was collected from the drill rig at the end of each shift, processed for RQD geotechnical logging, and digitally photographed. The drill core was predominantly NQ in size, with a small percentage of HQ core in the upper 20m of holes cored from surface in clay soils. Core was 'fitted' back together whenever possible, and geologically logged on site by the supervising project geologist. The project geologist ensured a representative cutting line was marked along the length of the on the core and samples highlighted at appropriate intervals. Once the sample intervals and cut lines had been clearly marked out, the start and end of each sample interval was cut orthogonal to the long axis of the core to clearly define the end of each sample interval. The core was then cut in half lengthways along the representative cut line. A stand mounted, diamond impregnated electric saw blade purchased from Johannesburg, South Africa, was used for all core cutting purposes. The left half of the core was returned to the metal core trays and retained for future reference; the right half was placed into appropriately marked and labeled plastic sample bags. Quality Control protocols enforced by the company require the collection and insertion of Certified Reference Materials (CRM's) at the rate of one CRM "blank", one field blank (sand), one CRM "copper standard" and one field duplicate sample within each sample stream of 20 samples.

Samples were delivered under security by company vehicle to SGS Minerals Laboratory in Kalulushi, Zambia for sample preparation and analysis. The laboratory maintains quality assurance protocols in line with ISO 17025, and maintains quality accreditation for commercial laboratories in line with ISO 9002. The laboratory also participates in international round robin programs organized by LQSI of the USA.

The sample preparation scheme was PRP90; drying for 4 hours at 105 degrees Celsius; crushing to 2mm with 90% passing 2mm; and pulverizing of a 1000 gram sub-split of the 2mm chips to 85% passing 75 microns. Digest was scheme DIG42S; 0.4 grams of pulverized material digested in a 4 acid mixture on a hot plate at 200 degrees Celsius for 45 minutes, with subsequent dilution back to 100ml before AAS analysis by method 'AAS42S'. Results for copper and cobalt were reported in percentages. Lower detection limits were 0.01% for both elements.

About African Metals Corporation.

African Metals Corporation (TSXV: AFR) is a Canadian listed company focused on the discovery and development of Copper and Cobalt deposits in the highly mineralized Katanga Copper Belt of the world renowned Africa Copper Belt in the Democratic Republic of Congo ("DRC").

AFR purchased all the assets of Chevalier Resources Inc. in March 2010 including a 57% interest in the Luisha South Project contained within licence PEPM 4881, Katanga Provence, Democratic Republic of the Congo ("DRC") through subsidiaries incorporated in the DRC. In July AFR negotiated a further 18% interest in the project with the option to increase the equity interest to 90% based on results. The project is located 75 kilometres northwest of Lubumbashi, the capital of Katanga Province and consists of approximately 16.2kmsquared.

The Luisha South Project includes a small historical open pit mine and associated stockpile and is underlain by Roan Group sediments which host major Cu-Co deposits in the DRC. The Luishia South orebody was explored between 1923 and 1928 and an oxide deposit with an estimated pre-production tonnage of approximately 350,000 tonnes at 8.6% Cu was delineated. The Luisha Project also covers some three kilometers of the Roan Group strike length which is favorable for Cu-Co mineralization. AFR is currently conducting metallurgical tests on stockpile Reverse Circulation drill samples to determine characteristics and heavy media separation qualities, with the aim of commencing production of an oxide concentrate by the end of Q2 2011.

Additionally, African Metals has an option to earn an 80% interest in 8 properties held by local company, KMH, covering some 682 square kilometers within the Katanga Provence Central African Copper Belt in the southeastern part of the DRC. AFR has delineated several sizeable soil anomalies within the licenses and is progressing exploration to test depth continuations of this mineralization.

For further information:

Jag Sandhu, Corporate Development, +1-604-306-1950 (AFR)