Great Western Minerals Group Announces Management Appointment

SASKATOON, SASKATCHEWAN -- (Marketwire) -- 01/05/12 -- Great Western Minerals Group Ltd. ('GWMG' or the 'Company'), (TSX VENTURE: GWG) (OTCQX: GWMGF) is pleased to announce the appointment of Vernon Kiss as Vice-President, Corporate Development and Strategic Initiatives.

In this new role, Mr. Kiss is responsible for oversight and direction of GWMG's corporate and strategic planning processes. Additionally, he is responsible for the assessment and execution of corporate development initiatives, including acquisitions, partnerships and joint ventures that contribute to the achievement of GWMG's vision to be a fully integrated rare earth producer.

During his 15 year career with Cameco Corporation, one of the world's largest uranium companies, Mr. Kiss held increasingly senior positions including vice president, corporate development and power generation. Amongst a broad range of experiences, as senior legal advisor he participated in preparations for Cameco's initial listings on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges, as special project co-ordinator he oversaw the development of several significant domestic and international joint venture agreements and projects, and as marketing director, North America, he negotiated numerous long term supply agreements. He has also been directly involved in a wide range of acquisitions and varied joint venture arrangements.

A member of the Saskatchewan Law Society since 1984, Mr. Kiss holds a B.A. (Psychology) and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Saskatchewan and is a masters candidate in the University of Saskatchewan School of Environment and Sustainability.

GWMG President and Chief Executive Officer Jim Engdahl said, 'Our Company has taken a significant step forward by to attracting Vern Kiss to this vice-president position. His extensive background with Cameco, as it successfully transitioned into being one of the globe's largest uranium producers, will be of great benefit to GWMG, its management team and its shareholders.'

Great Western Minerals Group Ltd. is an integrated Rare Earths processor. Its specialty alloys are used in the battery, magnet and aerospace industries. Produced at the Company's wholly owned subsidiaries Less Common Metals Limited in Birkenhead, U.K. and Great Western Technologies Inc. in Troy, Michigan, these alloys contain aluminium, nickel, cobalt and Rare Earth Elements. As part of the Company's vertical integration strategy, GWMG also holds 100% equity ownership in Rare Earth Extraction Co. Limited, which owns a 74% equity interest in the Steenkampskraal Mine. In addition to an exploration program at Steenkampskraal, GWMG also holds interests in four active Rare Earth exploration and development properties in North America.

Certain information set out in this News Release constitutes forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements (often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as 'expect', 'may', 'could', 'anticipate' or 'will' and similar expressions) may describe expectations, opinions or guidance that are not statements of fact and which may be based upon information provided by third parties. Forward-looking statements are based upon the opinions, expectations and estimates of management of GWMG as at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or outcomes to differ materially from those anticipated or implied by such forward-looking statements. Those factors include, but are not limited to refurbishment activities and reliance on third parties to meet projected timelines, the results of the exploration program at Steenkampskraal, a resource estimate and commencement of production at Steenkampskraal, satisfaction of the conditions precedent with respect to GWMG's offtake agreement, receipt of all required approvals (including those relating to the commencement of production at the Steenkampskraal mine) and risks, uncertainties and other factors that are beyond the control of GWMG, risks associated with the industry in general, commodity prices and exchange rate changes, operational risks associated with exploration, development and production operations, delays or changes in plans, risks associated with the uncertainty of reserve or resource estimates, health and safety risks and the uncertainty of estimates and projections of production, costs and expenses. In light of the risks and uncertainties associated with forward-looking statements, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon forward-looking information. Although GWMG believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements set out in this press release or incorporated herein by reference are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. The forward-looking statements of GWMG contained in this News Release, or incorporated herein by reference, are expressly qualified, in their entirety, by this cautionary statement and the risk factors contained in GWMG's current annual information form available at www.sedar.com.

CUSIP: 39141Y 10 3

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Contacts:

Great Western Minerals Group Ltd.

Dwight Percy

Manager of Investor Relations

(306) 659-4500


Great Western Minerals Group Ltd.

219 Robin Crescent

Saskatoon, SK S7L 6M8
info@gwmg.ca
www.gwmg.ca