10 African countries where South Africans don’t need a visa to travel

A giraffe as the sunsets at Tsavo East National Park in Kenya. Picture: Unsplash

A giraffe as the sunsets at Tsavo East National Park in Kenya. Picture: Unsplash

Published Oct 19, 2023

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Africa has a lot to offer a traveller, with many places waiting to be explored.

According to the VisaGuide Passport Index, South Africa’s passport ranks 97th in the world as of October. With that being said, South Africans can travel visa-free to 73 countries in the world.

With no set definitive price, visa applications differ from country to country and may be costly depending on the region you are travelling to. Visa free travel allows you to travel to different countries without the hassle of going through the bureaucratic motions of getting a visa.

It’s also a time saver as you don't have to spend your time filling out forms and you don't have to go through the hassle of going to an embassy to turn in your passport and wait for approval.

If you’re looking for inspiration and local places to visit that don’t require you to have a visa, here are 10 African states where South Africans are welcome without a visa.

Angola

Botswana

Lesotho

Mozambique

Mauritius

Kenya

Tanzania

Eswatini

Zambia

Zimbabwe

Some of these countries are right on our doorstep so if you plan on making the visit, just make sure you don’t overstay your welcome.

It’s important to note that you still must have a valid passport if you plan to travel to a visa-free destination and your travel health insurance must be in place as required by your destination country.