Giyani Secures Special Economic Zone Licence for its HPMSM Plant

Giyani Metals Corp. (TSXV:EMM, GR:A2DUU8) ("Giyani" or the "Company"), developer of the K.Hill battery-grade manganese project in Botswana ("K.Hill" or “the Project”), is proud to announce that it has secured a 50-year Special Economic Zone (“SEZ”) Investor License (the “SEZ License”) for its battery-grade manganese (HPMSM) commercial plant (“Commercial Plant”) site to be built in Botswana.

Highlights:

• Giyani has been awarded, to its wholly-owned Botswanan subsidiary Thabatala Technology Company Proprietary Limited (“Thabatala”) a 50-year SEZ License for its Commercial Plant via applying to a rigorous Government led process where its environmental, economic and social credentials were reviewed by the Special Economic Zone Authority (“SEZA”).

• The award of the SEZ License designates Giyani’s Commercial Plant as a Single Factory Special Economic Zone. The Commercial Plant will be located adjacent to its K.Hill manganese mine site, near Kanye, Botswana.

• This significant milestone underscores Giyani’s commitment to driving sustainable economic growth in Botswana while solidifying its role in the global supply chain for critical battery materials, and also highlights the Government’s support for Giyani and the Project.

• As a SEZ Investor License holder, Giyani will benefit from a range of fiscal and non-fiscal incentives that enhance project viability and operational efficiency, including reduced tax rates, zero-rated VAT on raw materials for export, and operational support from the Botswana Government, a full list of benefits is included in the Overview section.

• The SEZ licence is valid for up to 50 years, and can be renewed.

• Giyani is fully committed to adhering to international trade and environmental standards, ensuring responsible and sustainable operations. The Company is also focused on fostering local economic inclusion strategies aimed at empowering Botswanans, creating supply chain and other opportunities for local businesses and contributing to community development initiatives.

Charles FitzRoy, President and CEO of the Company, commented:

“Securing the SEZ License for our Commercial Plant is a transformative step for Giyani, and an important milestone on our path to becoming a leading producer of battery-grade manganese, particularly as our Demo Plant nears first production and we look ahead to the next stages of progress. This is a testament to Botswana’s commitment to fostering innovation, the benefits of which will enhance our project’s viability and facilitate a sustainable partnership with the local community. With the addition of significant benefits such as significant corporate tax reduction and fast-tracked issuance of permits for skilled personnel, this licence not only supports sustainability ambitions but has clear economic and operational benefits that will ultimately catalyze Commercial Plant construction. This in turn will drive sustainable economic growth in Botswana and solidify its role in the global supply chain for critical battery metals. We are deeply grateful for SEZA’s ongoing support, which underscores the Government’s dedication to attracting investment in critical industries. Our focus now is to obtain the remaining sectoral permits and licences required to commence project activities and we look forward to updating shareholders in due course.”

SEZ Licence Overview

In August 2024, Giyani submitted its full application for the SEZ License, which included a comprehensive business plan and detailed application form, following a formal initial enquiry in July 2023. The SEZ License was approved on December 16, 2024 by the SEZA Board and Giyani received approval of the licence on January 13, 2025, confirming the Commercial Plant will operate as a Single Factory Special Economic Zone. The SEZ License has a validity of 50 years, and can be renewed multiple times.

As a licenced SEZ investor, Giyani is thus eligible for the following benefits that the Company believes will enhance project viability and operational efficiency:

Fiscal incentives:

o A 5% corporate tax rate for the first 10 years, increasing to 10% thereafter.

o Zero-rated VAT on raw materials used for manufacturing for export.

o Waivers on transfer duty for land and property transactions.

o A 5-year property tax exemption.

o Duty-free imports of specialist plant and machinery for manufacturing.

o No exchange controls and the full repatriation of profits and capital.

SEZA Support for Giyani

In addition to fiscal benefits, to ensure Giyani’s seamless integration into Botswana’s SEZ framework, the SEZA is providing robust support for the Company, including the following:

o Fast-tracking the issuance of visas, work, and residence permits for skilled personnel.

o Priority processing of business and sector-specific licenses and permits.

o Expedited customs facilitation and bonded warehouse registration.

o Assistance with building permits and expedited land allocation.

About Giyani

Giyani is focused on becoming a dominant western-world producer of sustainable, low carbon high purity battery grade manganese for the electric vehicle (“EV”) industry. The Company has developed a proprietary hydrometallurgical process to produce battery grade manganese (HPMSM), a lithium-ion battery cathode precursor material critical for EVs.

The Company has secured financing of US$26m from two strategic partners, ARCH Sustainable Resources Fund LP and the Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa, enabling it to progress the K.Hill battery-grade manganese project in Botswana to construction by building and operating the Demonstration Plant (“Demo Plant”) and completing a Definitive Feasibility Study in 2025.

Additional information and corporate documents may be found on www.sedarplus.ca and on Giyani Metals Corp. website at https://giyanimetals.com

For media enquiries, please contact:

Matthew Lister
Head: Investor Relations
Email: mlister@archempartners.com
Mobile: +44 7780 049 074