Africans have long faced hurdles when traveling within their own continent, as costly and complicated visa requirements make regional movement difficult and, for many, nearly impossible.
According to furtherafrica.com, The dream of a borderless Africa, where citizens can travel, work, and settle freely, remains far from reality.
At the recent African Union (AU) Summit in Addis Ababa, ministers gathered for yet another strategic dialogue on visa openness, drawing insights from the Africa Visa Openness Report 2024. However, despite numerous high-level discussions, progress remains slow.
A Mixed Picture of Progress
The 2024 report reveals a stagnant or declining trend in visa openness:
- 17 countries improved their scores over the past year.
- 29 countries saw no change in visa policies.
- 8 countries regressed, introducing stricter travel barriers.
Overall, the continent’s aggregate visa openness score declined slightly, returning to 2022 levels, though still higher than the previous six years.
Visa-Free Champions vs. Restrictive Nations
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Benin, Seychelles, The Gambia, and Rwanda have achieved perfect visa openness scores, setting an example for the continent. Encouragingly, high-population nations like Nigeria and Ethiopia rank in the top 20.
READ: Tourism: Ethiopia Urged to Lift Visa Restrictions for African Travelers
However, some major economies remain among the worst performers:
- Egypt, Algeria, and Kenya rank in the bottom 10.
- The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) narrowly avoids a similar ranking.
Policy shifts in some African nations have enhanced mobility, while others have introduced restrictions, citing political, security, and foreign policy concerns.
The Reality: Limited Visa-Free Travel for Africans
- Only 28% of African countries offer visa-free intra-African travel.
- Just 25% provide visa-on-arrival options.
- Nearly half (47%) of intra-African travellers must secure a visa before travel.
Joy Kategekwa, Director of the Regional Integration Coordination Office at the African Development Bank (AfDB), describes this as one of the greatest contradictions in Africa’s pursuit of regional integration and economic growth.
Regional Economic Communities: A Path Forward?
To accelerate progress, regional economic communities (RECs) could lead the way by implementing visa-free policies across multiple member states. The report suggests:
- Regional visa systems for seamless travel within entire RECs.
- Reciprocal visa-free arrangements between member states.
- E-visa platforms to simplify and digitise application processes.
Such measures could eliminate excessive bureaucracy and encourage freer movement, particularly for business and trade under the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).
Will the 2025 Visa-Free Roadshow Deliver?
In response to the slow progress, leaders announced the 2025 Visa-Free Roadshow, an advocacy campaign to mobilise action and push for reform. The irony? One can only hope that the policymakers behind it won’t face the same travel barriers that millions of Africans still endure.
