Botswana grants Orano more licenses to explore for uranium

Botswana is turning to uranium as it searches for new sources of mining revenue beyond diamonds, with French nuclear fuel company Orano Mining receiving three more licences to explore for the radioactive metal. 

The new permits expand Orano’s position in Botswana at a time when the country’s diamond industry is under pressure from weaker global demand and competition from lab-grown stones.

The government has identified uranium and copper among the minerals that could help broaden the mining sector. 

The licences cover three blocks in the central Kalahari, each measuring about 970 hectares, according to Botswana’s mining registry.

The three-year permits run until March 2029 and bring Orano’s uranium-related licences in the country to 18. 

Uranium is mainly used as fuel for nuclear power plants. Botswana has known uranium resources and several exploration projects but does not yet have a commercial uranium mine in operation.

The country’s push comes as neighbouring Namibia remains one of Africa’s leading uranium producers.

Orano expands uranium search 

The latest licences sit next to 15 permits awarded in October 2025 to Orano’s subsidiary, Compagnie Française de Mines et Métaux.

Orano has also confirmed that it restarted its Botswana exploration program in 2026 after securing exploration licences. 

President Duma Boko has backed faster development of the country’s uranium resources.

After meeting French President Emmanuel Macron and Orano officials in France in April, Boko said Botswana wanted exploration to move toward extraction and could eventually use nuclear power to generate electricity.

Botswana looks beyond diamonds 

The push into uranium comes as Botswana faces a tougher market for diamonds, which have been the foundation of its economy for decades.

The government is seeking investment in other minerals as it works to reduce its exposure to changes in the diamond market. 

For Botswana, uranium could offer another mining business, although exploration does not guarantee that a commercial mine will be developed.

The country has yet to produce uranium on a commercial scale, meaning Orano will need to establish the size and quality of any deposits before moving toward development.

Orano rebuilds its African uranium portfolio 

Orano is a French state-controlled nuclear company involved in uranium exploration, mining and processing. It operates uranium assets in countries including Canada and Kazakhstan and says its exploration programs resumed in Botswana in 2026. 

The company’s expansion in Botswana follows its loss of control of the SOMAIR uranium mine in Niger, where it held a 63.4% stake. Niger’s military government nationalised the mine in June 2025 after relations between Orano and the authorities deteriorated.