The top 10 and the top 20 most visa-open countries continue to improve their average score, reflecting countries’ more liberal visa policies. In addition, 43 countries improved or maintained their score.

Benin made the most progress in opening up its borders to African travellers, moving from 27th place in the 2017 edition, to share the top spot with Seychelles, in the 2018 Visa Openness report. Zimbabwe also broke into the top 20 with the introduction of a visa-on-arrival policy for SADC members.

Ghana ranked seventh recording 17 countries no visa, 35 countries visas on arrival and one country visa required. Comoros, Madagascar and Somalia were ranked 14th and jointly issuing 53 countries visas on arrival. Djibouti, also issues visa on arrival to 53 countries.

South Africa occupied the 34th ranking translating into 15 countries no visas and 38 visa required. Ethiopia ranked 50th with two countries enjoying no visas, a country for visa on arrival as well as 50 countries requiring visas.

Equatorial Guinea demands visas from 53 countries in Africa and ranked 54 on the index.

Overall, when compared to 2017, Africans do not need a visa to travel to 25 per cent of other African countries (up from 22 per cent); can get visas on arrival in 24 per cent of other African countries (same as last year); and need visas to travel to 51 per cent of other African countries (down from 54 per cent).

Dr Akinwumi A. Adesina, President, African Development Bank Group, said “Regional integration and trade based upon the free movement of persons, goods, services and capital is at the core of the business of the African Development Bank.”

However, the fact that Africans still require visas to travel to just over half of other African countries shows that more progress is needed to realise free movement of people continent-wide. As infrastructure expands across Africa and tangible trade and investment opportunities are put on the table, Africans will need to travel with greater ease.

Solutions such as the African passport, visa-free regional blocs, multi-year visas, or visa-on-arrival schemes should continue to be promoted.

“Looking at the recent development this year, such as the announcement by Ethiopia, Africa’s diplomatic capital, on the establishment of a visa-on-arrival regime for all African passport holders, Africa is indeed on an upward trajectory towards seamless borders and the free movement of its people. Commendable work has also gone into the actual roll-out of the African passport to the citizenry.”

Ambassador Kwesi Quartey, Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission said the Visa Openness Index assesses the progress African countries have made in relaxing their visa regimes.

He said the Index analyses visa requirements set by each member state of the African Union for other member states seeking to enter their borders.   The report aims to show at a glance which countries are facilitating travel for citizens of other African countries and how; whether they allow people to travel to their country without a visa; if travellers can get a visa on arrival in the country; or if visitors need to get a visa before travel.

The year 2018 is a landmark chapter in Africa’s regional integration efforts. The launch of the African Continental Free Trade Area and the Single African Air Transport Market are major milestones in the creation of a regulatory environment that promotes air connectivity and makes it faster, easier and less expensive for Africans to travel within Africa.