African skies slowly opening up for citizens
Travellers at the O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. South Africa is one of the countries offering eVisas as the number of African states offering this facility increased by 31 per cent in 2019. PHOTO | MICHELE SPATARI | AFP
If you’re thinking of travelling within Africa this holiday season consider Seychelles, Benin, Senegal, Rwanda, Ghana, Uganda, Guinea Bissau, Cabo Verde, Togo and Mauritania as they currently top in visa openness.
Travelling to Democratic Republic of Congo, Algeria, Burundi, Morocco, Egypt, South Sudan, Eritrea, Sudan, Libya, Equatorial Guinea and Western Sahara will be the most challenging as they rank lowest.
Within the region, Rwanda leads followed by Uganda and Kenya.
The 2019 Africa Visa Openness Index also rates Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Tanzania among the top 20 countries on the continent where citizens of other African countries find it easier to process visas for travel or receive the entry permit on arrival.
Rwanda ranks number four out of the 54 African countries, while Uganda comes in number six, while Kenya is number 13.
The data on visa openness was collected in June and July by the African Union with the support of the African Development Bank. It places Seychelles at the top of the 54 African countries surveyed, followed by Benin and Senegal.
The East African
