David Thomas
Herald correspondent
Another year of mixed progression indicates that it is time to accelerate work of free movement.
For decades, Africans have struggled to travel freely across the continent.
Visas visiting fellow African states are safe, costly and limited in scope. The Pan-African dream of Africa continues to be a long way from reality, not to mention arrangements that allow citizens to work and settle in other parts of Africa.
There is no shortage of serious meetings to discuss this issue.
The latest “strategic dialogue” between the ministers took place in February on the sidelines of the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa.
This discussion was portrayed about the release of the Africa Visa Openness Report 2024.
Of the 54 countries considered, 17 people improved their visa openness scores over the year. Scores from 29 countries remain unchanged. Eight countries scored low scores.
The net effect of the change was a slightly lower aggregate openness score than in 2023. This was the score in the 2022 PAR, but was higher than the group score in the past six years.
Major countries that are failing
Of course, there is a great variety in performance in individual countries. Benin, Seychelles, Gambia and Rwanda all achieved perfect scores, with countries with huge populations such as Nigeria and Ethiopia ranked in the top 20.
However, several countries such as Egypt, Algeria, and Kenya all rank in the bottom 10th, while the Democratic Republic of the Congo ranks number one outside of that.
“In 2024, several countries implemented visa policy changes, some have enacted positive visa reforms that have led to concrete progress towards a more open continent,” the report finds.
“Other policy changes create new obstacles that undermine the ease of movement, resulting in more troublesome travel for some citizens. Some of these policy changes are related to domestic or foreign policy, political, security, or other concerns.”
Overall, only 28% of countries offering visa-free in-Africa travel offer visas upon arrival on in-Africa travel.
For 47% of travel within Africa, Africans require a visa before travel.
In her introduction to the report, Joy Kategekwa, director of the African Development Bank's Regional Integration Coordination Agency, suggested that “a series of findings” were not moving fast enough to remove barriers.
“Some progress has been made since the first edition of the Africa Visa Openness Index, but we are far from where we need it,” she writes.
“The continued demand for visas for most of the time to enter other African countries is one of the deepest contradictions with the continent's aspirations for regional integration. Africa will not fulfill its development aspirations if there is no regime that promotes continental mobility.”
Keep an eye on local communities
Kategekwa says one way to accelerate progress is to look to the Regional Economic Communities (RECS) in Africa. She says she has pioneered a rights-based approach to movement.
In fact, in its conclusion, the report states that it should consider the regional visa system that Africa applies to travel within the entire REC or at least to at least several REC member states.
A higher level of visa-free interaction can be promoted within Recs as a stepping stone to more visa openness.
The report also shows that excessive bureaucracy can be tackled. This is to introduce e-Visa based on a secure, reliable, mobile-friendly platform. All this should help gradually expand the visa-free travel policy to at least all African Union member states for business related to African continental free trade.
The Addis Ababa session concluded with the announcement that the 2025 visa-free roadshow would maintain advocacy and mobilize action.
I hope travel policymakers don't face barriers while traveling. – New African Magazine
David Thomas is the digital editor of IC Publications, covering new African and African business magazines.
