Botswana's government has granted a uranium prospecting licence to ASX-listed Pioneer Lithium Limited (Pioneer).

The firm said in a release on July 15 that the Botsalano Uranium Project (Botsalano) is located in south of the southern African nation near its border with South Africa.

The project measures 815 square kilometres and is located around the town of Lobatse, which has main roads heading south into South Africa and north to Gaborone, Botswana's capital.  

Pioneer noted that the inferred ring structure and associated breccia structures intruded into a sandstone host is an ideal geological environment to host uranium mineralisation.

With the close proximity to key highways throughout the project area there will be "excellent access to water and power as required as well as a major rail system near the northern side of Botswana linked up by main roads from the project area," said the firm in the statement.

Pioneer CEO Michael Beven noted that the addition of Botsalano to its portfolio reinforces the company’s goal to become a global provider of critical minerals that are required for the global transition to low-carbon emissions.

"The project’s uranium potential is supported by its past ownership by UraMin Inc, which was acquired by Orano for [$2.4bn] in 2007, reflecting strong historical confidence in the region’s geological prospectivity,” he said.

“Multiple styles of uranium mineralisation are prospective including breccia hosted uranium mineralisation as seen elsewhere in brecciated iron oxide flooded environments and leucogranites like those found in Namibia at the Rossing Mine and Pioneers Warmbad assets.”