Giyani Metals, developer of the K.Hill Battery-Grade Manganese Project in Botswana, has appointed Gavin Horscroft as Operations Manager and Sean Thijsse as Vice President, Corporate Development (previously Head of Corporate Development).
Gavin Horscroft brings a wealth of relevant experience with a proven track record of 40 years in the African mining, metallurgical, and minerals processing industries. He has worked as Projects Director across a number of base metal projects in Africa, including operations experience with Impala Platinum and, more recently, at AngloGold Ashanti, where he was Senior Vice President for DRC and responsible for the management of all their in-country exploration and project activities. As a Chemical Engineer, Gavin has a strong technical background in base and precious metals processing and hydrometallurgy, as well as designing and supporting complex process flowsheet development through extensive lab-scale and pilot plant program management. Gavin’s extensive experience will be invaluable as Giyani progresses its Demo Plant through the final stages of commissioning and Commercial Plant construction.
Sean Thijsse joined Giyani in January 2025 as Head of Corporate Development, from The Pallinghurst Group, a private equity firm. Sean is an experienced investment professional with a strong track record in sustainable energy transition materials. He brings extensive experience in corporate finance, project evaluations & implementation, capital raising, and project financing. Since joining Giyani, Sean has leveraged his skillset to spearhead Giyani’s offtake strategy and ongoing engagement with strategic funding partners.
Charles FitzRoy, CEO of the company, commented: “I am delighted to welcome Gavin Horscroft as Operations Manager. His extensive experience and impressive track record align perfectly with the needs of the K.Hill Project and will be a major asset as we optimize the Demo Plant, progress and finalise the DFS, and move toward construction of the Commercial Plant. Since joining Giyani in January, Sean Thijsse has proven to be a valuable asset, driving and supporting our engagement with potential funding partners. His appointment as Vice President, Corporate Development is a timely and fitting appointment as Giyani ramps up these efforts following first production of battery-grade manganese from the Demonstration Plant in Johannesburg. These appointments reflect Giyani’s ongoing transformation as we continue to make significant strides in achieving major milestones and move meaningfully towards commercial production. I look forward to sharing further updates in due course.”
