For a long time, the issue of visas was seen as primarily an administrative or security matter. Yet in Africa, visas have also become an economic and strategic issue with Africa’s Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Beyond the forms to be filled in, the fees to be paid, the letters of invitation to be provided and the days spent waiting, there are tourists who give up on travelling, entrepreneurs who postpone meetings, investors who change their destination and companies that struggle to relocate their skilled staff.
At a time when Africa is seeking to speed up its economic integration, the maintenance of barriers to the movement of people appears to be a major inconsistency. The African Visa Openness Index (AVOI), produced by the African Development Bank and the African Union Commission, shows that in 2025, only 28.2 per cent of trips between African countries could be made without a visa.
In 2016, this proportion stood at just 20 per cent. Some progress has therefore been made, but more than half of all intra-African travel scenarios still require a visa to be obtained before departure.
Inconsistency with the AfCFTA
The issue becomes even more strategic with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The aim of this initiative is to create a larger continental market that can stimulate trade, investment and economic transformation.
In its initial scenario, the World Bank estimated that the AfCFTA could lift up to 30 million Africans out of extreme poverty by 2035. The updated estimates are even more optimistic: the AfCFTA trade scenario could cut the number of people living in extreme poverty by 40 million in 2035 compared with the baseline scenario.
Free movement of goods, but restricted movement of people: a contradiction within the AfCFTA is becoming clear.
As the free movement of goods and people are closely linked, a company exporting its products must be allowed to send its sales representatives, technicians, executives and trainers. An investor must be free to access a project site quickly. A start-up must be enabled to bring its partners together. A trade fair cannot operate at full potential if its participants must overcome disproportionate administrative constraints.
Visa requirements, therefore, do not merely affect tourism. They can slow down an entire economy.
Africa is close to major global markets, notably Europe and the Middle East. This geographical proximity offers huge potential for tourism, business, academic exchanges and investment.
But distance alone is not enough. A neighbouring market that is hard to access may be economically more remote than a more geographically distant market that is easily accessible.
The AVOI does, however, show a positive trend: 28.2 per cent of intra-African travel is now visa-free, compared with 20 per cent in 2016. Yet half of all travel between African countries still requires a visa to be obtained in advance.
Visas: an often-overlooked economic cost
The cost of a visa is not simply the listed price. For a traveller, one must sometimes include the application fees, travelling to the consulate, providing supporting documents, buying insurance, booking accommodation and, above all, the time invested in the process. For a business, these bottlenecks can set back a business trip or make a destination less attractive.
The World Bank has been emphasising for several years that visa policies can serve as incentives or disincentives for tourism. In some cases, the cumulative cost of visas can become high enough to deter travellers from visiting several African countries.
The problem is even more acute when it comes to business travel. An entrepreneur who has to wait several weeks to secure entry authorisation may decide to meet their partner in another country instead. An engineer, a physician, a researcher or a consultant struggling with complex procedures may turn down a short-term assignment.
The World Bank also notes that the high costs of visas and work permits pose significant restrictions on the movement of skilled professionals in the service sectors, including health and education.
In 2018, Africa was the world’s second-fastest-growing tourism region, with a 5.6 per cent increase in tourist arrivals, compared with 3.9 per cent globally. In the same year, around 40 per cent of international tourists visiting Africa were themselves from the continent. In other words, the African market is not merely a future prospect: it is already an essential component of African tourism.
The contrast in Nigeria, openness in Benin and the Seychelles model
Nigeria, the continent’s most populated economy, has huge tourism and commercial potential, but its entry procedures are still cumbersome. In 2025, the country replaced its ‘visa on arrival’ scheme with an e-visa system. However, these constraints alone do not fully justify the challenges facing the tourism sector, which are also linked to infrastructure, security and connectivity.
Meanwhile, in 2024, Benin, alongside The Gambia, Rwanda and the Seychelles, was among the African countries most open to travellers from across the continent. As early as 2017, the World Bank noted that tourism accounted for 2.6 per cent of the country’s GDP and 5.6 per cent of jobs, with the aim of reaching 10 per cent of GDP.
In the Seychelles, tourism revenue reached $989 million in 2023, accounting for nearly 46 per cent of GDP. The visa-free regime is a major incentive, although infrastructure and connectivity also play a key role.
Make no confusion between tourists, investors and migrants
A tourist is not an immigrant. An investor is not a jobseeker either. A temporary visitor is neither a permanent resident nor an undocumented worker. A foreign executive posted for a few weeks to a subsidiary in another country is not necessarily an economic migrant.
These nuances are essential for developing an economically sound migration policy.
The challenge for Africa is not necessarily to indiscriminately remove all border controls. Rather, it is about developing smart policies.
The African Development Bank itself views visa facilitation as a means of addressing skills shortages, stimulating entrepreneurship, diversifying economies, attracting investment and improving competitiveness.
Perhaps the real debate is no longer whether Africa should open or close its borders. It is about how to open them up just enough to build wealth whilst retaining the necessary means to secure the territories.
In this context, a visa should no longer be viewed merely as an entry document. It can become an instrument of economic policy. And for a continent that wants to make the AfCFTA a driver of growth, the movement of people could ultimately be just as important as the movement of goods.
