Top African passports: South Africa ranks third

South Africa’s passport comes in third position in terms of passport power of passports on the African continent.

By: Lorne Philpot

South Africans often consider SA’s passport useless, offering unrestricted access to very few destinations. SA’s passport is actually ranked the third most powerful passport on the continent, offering access to more destinations than the passports of most other countries in this part of the continent.

Passports of neighbouring countries including Botswana and Namibia, do not afford their passport holders nearly as much access to visa-free destinations as the South African passport. Businesstech says that SA passport holders have visa-free access to almost half of the world’s 227 destinations.

RANKING AFRICAN PASSPORTS

According to the Africa Wealth Report 2023, which analyses the passport power and economic mobility of Africa’s wealthiest countries, South Africa was ranked third, coming in behind two Indian Ocean small island states.  

The report considers data from the Henley Passport Power scores which indicates the percentage of unrestricted travel opportunities offered to passport holders.

ALSO READ: Most Powerful Passports: South Africa ranks up to higher spot

AFRICA’S TOP PASSPORTS

Concerning passport power, when taking into account the number of countries that can be accessed visa-free, the Seychelles passport is the best in Africa, giving its passport holders unrestricted access to 153 countries.

According to Henley’s Passport Power scores for 2023, Mauritius nabs second place and South Africa comes in third, giving their passport holders visa-free access to 146 and 106 countries, respectively.

Passport	Countries with visa-free access
Seychelles	153
Mauritius	146
South Africa	106
Botswana	86
Namibia	78
Lesotho	77
Eswatini	74
Malawi	73
Kenya	72
Tanzania	71

ALSO READ: SA passport holders can visit these 106 destinations visa-free

AFRICA’S RICHEST COUNTRIES

While South Africa takes third place for passport power and mobility afforded to its passport holders, the country actually has one of the continent’s wealthiest economies with respect to its number of millionaires. 

Other significant economies on the continent including Nigeria and Egypt do not boast the passport power that South Africa’s passport affords passport holders.

Wealthiest countries (by number of millionaires)	Percentage of global GDP	Visa free-entry score
South Africa	0.45	106
Egypt	0.43	53
Nigeria	0.47	46
Kenya	0.12	72
Morocco	0.14	65
Mauritius	0.01	146
Algeria	0.18	52
Ethiopian	0.14	46
Ghana	0.08	64
Tanzania	0.07	71

  

ALSO READ: Home Affairs adds more bank branches who offer SA passports