Image attribution: Hugh Whyte on Unsplash

Some good news has come to light for South African passport-holders looking to travel outside of our borders. Holders of SA passports may now travel to a total of 108 destinations without needing to apply for and pay for a visa.

It is normally a “schlep” adding this extra step to travel plans – queues, appointments, and the extra expense aren’t what would be deemed fun activities.

Looking at the current state of air travel: The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has stated in their data, released in November 2023, that air travel demand had reached 99% of the levels reached in 2019.

“Total traffic in November 2023 (measured in revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs) rose 29.7% compared to November 2022. Globally, traffic is now at 99.1% of November 2019 levels.”

The Henley Passport Index has been released, and it shows that since the last index, South Africans can visit Kiribati in Oceania without needing a visa. 

Most of the countries that South Africans are allowed to visit without a visa are based in Africa, Asia, the Americas (like Argentina, Brazil, and Chile), and the Caribbean. Kenya recently announced a visa-free entry policy; however,  this announcement has been met with backlash as now any travellers wishing to visit Kenya still need to apply for an “electronic travel authorisation (ETA) by submitting documentation and paying a $30” fee.

“Dear Africans, Kenya is not telling the world the truth when it says that it is now visa-free, it is not! It has in fact made travelling there more difficult for Africans who didn’t need a visa before,” well-known Zimbabwean journalist Hopewell Chin’ono expressed on X.

At this point, when it comes to emigration – only Ireland, one of the four countries in Europe that offer visa-free travel to South Africans, could be seen as a strong emigration destination. 

Why does this matter? South Africans looking to travel outside of the country can now save time and costs without needing a visa in 108 countries. SA still, however, sits more or less in the middle of the Henley Passport Index, which shows which countries passport holders may visit without a visa.