The top 20 African countries that offer easy access to local travellers

Back in 2016, only 20% of countries in the continent offered visa-free to African travellers with people needing visas to travel to 55% of other African countries.
This year, visa-free entry has gradually gone up to 25% while Africans needing visas to visit other parts of the continent.
Overall, African travellers have more access to over half the continent for the first time in history.

Travelling across Africa is getting easier according to the findings from the 2019 Africa Visa Openness Index and was published by the African Union Commission and the African Development Bank.

With more nations loosening their visa regimes, African travellers now have smoother travel experience.

Commenting on the newly released report, African Development Bank President Akinwumi A. Adesina said, “Our work on the Africa Visa Openness Index continues to monitor how Africa is doing on free movement of people. Progress is being made but much still needs to be done. To integrate Africa, we should bring down the walls. The free movement of people, and especially labour mobility, are crucial for promoting investments.”

Travelling across Africa is gettng easier (visaopenness) Pulse Nigeria

He was supported by Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union Commission.

“It cannot be stressed enough how crucial integration is for the development of the continent and the fulfilment of its people’s aspiration to well-being. I congratulate those member states that have taken measures to ease the procedures for the entry of African nationals into their territories, and urge those that have not yet done so to join this growing momentum,” he said.

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Seychelles and Benin remain the top-performing countries, offering visa-free access to over 50 Africans countries while Ghana and Ethiopia moved up a couple of places to enter the top 20 list.

Here are the top 20 visa open countries in Africa: