Africa’s second-largest uranium producer, Niger has not supplied France for several years. While contesting its forced exit from the country, Orano is expanding its activities elsewhere on the continent, particularly in Southern Africa where reserves are substantial.

Niger nationalized the local subsidiary of French nuclear group Orano in June 2025, formally ending France's uranium operations in the country. Less than a year later, Orano has already moved into Botswana, one of several African countries that could supply uranium to France's nuclear industry.

Uranium is an essential raw material for nuclear reactors, which accounted for 68.1% of France's electricity mix in 2025. Until 2023, France sourced part of its nuclear fuel from Niger, its second-largest supplier after Kazakhstan. The July 2023 coup halted those exports, culminating in the nationalization of Orano's Nigerien subsidiary, Somaïr. The setback to France's supply diversification has prompted Paris to intensify its search for alternatives.

Botswana in Focus

Botswanan President Duma Boko raised the matter during a visit last week to French President Emmanuel Macron, highlighting opportunities for French mining investment. His remarks came as Orano said on its website that uranium exploration in Botswana is among its objectives for 2026. The company has already obtained the necessary permits from Botswana’s authorities.

While Botswana is not among Africa's current uranium producers, it holds reserves estimated at 800,000 tonnes. That potential has already attracted several foreign investors, including Australia's Lotus Resources. In March 2025, Lotus published a preliminary study showing its Letlhakane project in Botswana could deliver up to 3 million pounds of uranium per year over 10 years.

Pioneer Minerals, another Australian company, obtained a uranium exploration permit in Botswana last year. Even so, Orano is unlikely to replace lost Nigerien production with a Botswanan mine for many years, likely decades. Doing so would require successful exploration and a range of technical and economic studies.

Namibia, the Old Ally

While Botswana represents a longer-term opportunity, Namibia offers an established alternative. The world’s third-largest uranium producer, with Africa’s largest reserves, Namibia is one of France's historical suppliers. Although Orano does not currently operate mines there, France can source uranium from Chinese and Australian companies active in the country while awaiting a possible restart of its own facilities.

Orano owns the Trekkopje mine in Namibia, located 70 kilometres north of the coastal city of Swakopmund. The French uranium specialist placed the site on care and maintenance more than a decade ago after operating briefly between 2008 and 2012. The closure, driven at the time by low uranium prices, has been under review since 2024 as nuclear fuel prices have nearly doubled since 2023. According to the Namibia Chamber of Mines, Trekkopje has a remaining mine life estimated at 19 years.

Malawi, Zambia and South Africa: Players to Watch

In Malawi, the restart of the Kayelekera mine by Australia's Lotus Resources in August 2025 returned the country to the global uranium market after more than a decade offline. The operator is targeting annual production of 2.4 million pounds over 10 years and plans to begin its first commercial sales in the second quarter of 2026.

The mine already has identified buyers, including uranium trader Curzon Uranium and a North American electricity company whose identity has not been disclosed. France has no direct presence in Malawi, but Kayelekera's output could feed into long-term supply contracts held by market participants.

South Africa also has significant potential. The country holds 5% of global uranium reserves, just behind Namibia and Niger on the African continent, according to the World Nuclear Association. Those reserves are largely tied to gold mines in the Witwatersrand Basin, according to France's Directorate General of the Treasury. This makes uranium a byproduct extracted in modest volumes, and the development of a fully independent uranium industry remains limited.

No French group is currently active in uranium in South Africa or Zambia, another country of interest. Atomic Eagle is developing the Muntanga project there, with a feasibility study published in March 2026 projecting average annual production of 2.2 million pounds over a 12-year mine life.

Beyond France's supply needs, this overview highlights the depth of Africa's uranium potential. From Botswana to Zambia, through Namibia, Malawi and South Africa, projects are expanding at different stages of development. For Orano and other Western buyers, the continent remains key to long-term supply diversification. These projects also represent an opportunity for African countries at a time when nuclear power ambitions are growing across the continent.

Emiliano Tossou