08:20 AM EDT, 09/18/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Giyani Metals ( CATPF ) on Wednesday said Botswana granted the company a mining license for its K.Hill Manganese Project in the southern African country.

The company said its next step is to complete the construction of a demonstration plant in Johannesburg, South Africa, to process K.Hill's ores into battery-grade manganese. The facility is expected to be commissioned by year-end.

"The product from the Demo Plant will be used for offtaker qualification, a vital step before offtake agreements can be signed," the company said.

With the mining license in hand, Giyani also plans to complete a definitive feasibility study for a K.Hill mine, including an updated mineral resource estimate, expected to be released next year.

The company's shares closed down $0.005 to $0.075 Tuesday on the TSX Venture Exchange.