Lithium Africa names James Chabata chief financial officer
Cape Town, South Africa--(Newsfile Corp. - August 4, 2026) - Lithium Africa Corp. (TSXV: LAF) (FSE: 6MQ) (OTCQB: LTAFF) (" Lithium Africa " or the " Company ") is pleased to announce the appointment of James Chabata, CPA, FCCA, as Chief Financial Officer, effective October 1, 2026 subject to regulatory approvals.
Mr. Chabata succeeds Mr. Jamie Robinson, who will step down as Chief Financial Officer following a successful tenure in which he helped establish the Company's financial foundations. Mr. Robinson has served as Lithium Africa's Chief Financial Officer since June 2022 and provided integral financial leadership to the Company through its go-public transaction and listing on the TSX Venture Exchange in February 2026. Mr. Robinson will remain with the Company until the end of 2026 and will work closely with Mr. Chabata to ensure a seamless transition of responsibilities.
Thomas R. Benson, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer and Director of Lithium Africa, commented: "James has built finance functions in the locations where we operate - through construction and into production at the Goulamina lithium mine in Mali, and for a Canadian-listed developer in Côte d'Ivoire. He knows OHADA, 1 IFRS, and joint venture accounting, and brings on the ground cost control expertise. I also want to sincerely thank Jamie Robinson for his years of dedication, building the Company's strong financial foundations and taking it public."
Mr. Chabata added: "Lithium Africa has assembled a rare position - a permitted spodumene asset in South Africa, drill-ready projects across West and Southern Africa, and a 50/50 partnership with Ganfeng. My job is to build the financial platform that enables this business to grow: rigorous capital allocation, controls and reporting that scale with new jurisdictions, and a finance function that keeps pace with the drill bit. Growth should be funded by performance, not dilution."
About James Chabata
Mr. Chabata brings more than 15 years of finance leadership across African mining, with operating experience in Mali, Mauritania, Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Mauritius. He joins Lithium Africa from Montage Gold Corp., where he has built the in-country finance function for the Koné Project in Côte d'Ivoire since October 2024. Previously, as Finance and Administration Manager at Leo Lithium Limited, he helped deliver the Goulamina Lithium Project in Mali through construction and into operational readiness - establishing in-country tax structuring, banking arrangements, dual IFRS and OHADA reporting, and the project's internal control framework - and was retained through Goulamina's sale to Ganfeng Lithium Group Co., Ltd. to support the ownership transition.
Earlier roles include B2Gold Corp. in Mali, First Quantum Minerals in Mauritania, Resolute Mining in Mali, and Teranga Gold Corporation in Senegal, with a career beginning in audit at BDO in South Africa. Mr. Chabata is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) in Canada and a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (FCCA) in the United Kingdom and holds an Honours degree in Accounting from the University of Zimbabwe.
About Lithium Africa Corp.
Lithium Africa Corp. is a capital-efficient lithium exploration and consolidation company assembling a portfolio of hard-rock lithium assets across Africa. Through its 50/50 joint venture with GFL International Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Ganfeng Lithium Group Co., Ltd., the Company holds an indirect 50% interest in lithium exploration projects in Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Zimbabwe, and Mali. In addition, the Company is acquiring a majority interest in the Springbok Project in South Africa, which is held outside the joint venture. For more information, please visit www.li-africa.com .
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF LITHIUM AFRICA CORP.
Thomas R. Benson, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer & Director
For further information regarding the Company, contact:
Jeanne Liu, Corporate Communications at investors@li-africa.com , 1.604.771.7125
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Statements contained in this news release that are not historical facts may be forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities legislation, including statements in respect of the appointment of Mr. Chabata as Chief Financial Officer and the timing thereof, the planned transition of the Chief Financial Officer role, Mr. Robinson's continued involvement with the Company during the transition period, the anticipated contributions of Mr. Chabata, the grant and vesting of restricted share units, and the Company's plans and programs for its exploration portfolio in Africa. These forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In addition, the forward-looking statements require management to make assumptions and are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties. There is significant risk that the forward-looking statements will not prove to be accurate, that the management's assumptions may not be correct and that actual results may differ materially from such forward-looking statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements. Generally forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of terminology such as "anticipate", "will", "expect", "may", "continue", "could", "estimate", "forecast", "plan", "potential" and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions which may prove to be incorrect which, without limiting the generality of the following, include: the ability to raise funds through private or public equity financings; general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; delay or failure to receive regulatory approvals; risks inherent in exploration activities; the impact of exploration competition; unexpected geological conditions; changes in government regulations and policies, including trade laws and policies; failure to obtain necessary permits and approvals from government authorities; volatility and sensitivity to market prices; volatility and sensitivity to capital market fluctuations; environmental and safety risks including increased regulatory burdens; weather and other natural phenomena; and other exploration, development, operating, financial market and regulatory risks. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof or the dates specifically referenced in this press release, where applicable. Except as required by applicable securities laws and regulation, the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.
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 release.
1 Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa.
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/307880
Newsfile Corp.
August 4, 2026 - 4:30 AM PDT
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