Imagine traveling across Africa without the hassle of visa applications, long embassy queues, and expensive fees. That’s the dream African leaders are trying to make a reality with the 2025 Visa-Free Roadshow, a fresh push to open the continent for free movement.
The initiative, announced at the 38th African Union Summit, is meant to drive advocacy, political commitment, and action toward making it easier for Africans to travel within their own continent. The question is, will this time be different from past promises, or will it be just another policy that never quite takes off?
Africa’s Visa-Free Dream—Closer Than Ever?
For years, African leaders have talked about easing travel restrictions to boost trade, tourism, and investment. But despite several agreements, movement across the continent is still riddled with visa barriers.
According to the latest Africa Visa Openness Index (AVOI), 39 African countries have improved their visa policies since 2016, making 2024 the most open year yet. Still, many nations require visas from their African neighbors, making regional travel more complicated than it should be.
The Rwanda Example: Does Visa-Free Travel Work?
One country leading the way is Rwanda, which has fully embraced a visa-free regime. Instead of posing a security risk, Rwanda’s Minister of Trade and Industry, Prudence Sebahizi, argues that open borders actually improve security and economic growth.
“Rwanda does not agree with the usual excuse of security threats that accompany visa-free discussions. What is important is to invest in systems, security, governance, and monitoring,” he said.
His point? People who travel for business or tourism will always use official channels like airports and border posts, which actually helps reduce illegal migration and smuggling.
Why Has It Taken So Long?
Despite the obvious benefits, visa-free travel in Africa has been slow to take off. The African Union’s Free Movement Protocol, adopted in 2018, was meant to eliminate visa requirements across the continent. But since then, very few countries have implemented it.
The biggest obstacles? Politics, security concerns, and fear of economic imbalances. Some countries worry that opening up their borders will lead to an influx of workers from poorer nations, while others fear criminal activities will rise.
But African Union Youth Envoy Chido Mpemba believes the younger generation is already leading the way.
“Social and cultural integration is key to building a shared African identity,” she said, pointing out that young Africans are already working together through social media, online businesses, and cross-border collaborations.
The 2025 Visa-Free Roadshow aims to keep the conversation going and pressure governments to act. Led by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the African Union Commission, the initiative will advocate for easier movement, engage policymakers, and push for concrete commitments.
