Zimpapers Logo

ZIMBABWE last year climbed six places to position 21 on the African Visa Openness Index (AVOI) out of 54 countries as measured by the African Development Bank (AfDB). The AVOI measures how open countries are when it comes to visas by looking at what they ask of citizens from other countries in Africa when they travel.

The index aims to show at a glance, which countries are facilitating travel for citizens of other countries and whether they allow people to travel to their country without a visa, if travellers can get a visa on arrival or if visitors need to get a visa before travel.

According to the 2017 AVOI, Zimbabwe scored a maximum 0.433 points out of a possible 1.0, considered to be the best. The index showed that Zimbabwe does not require visas from citizens of 17 countries, mainly from Southern Africa while citizens from eight countries require visas on arrival and from 29 countries have to acquire them in their home countries before the travel.

Countries use visa regimes for various reasons, which include security measure to control the entry and duration of people staying in a country, to limit a visitor’s activities and to generate revenue.

To some extent other countries use visas to reciprocate or match the treatment their own citizens get when they visit some countries. According to the 2017 AVOI, Seychelles which, has scrapped visa requirements for all African countries was at pole position with a score of one, while Uganda, Togo, Guinea Bissau and Cape Verde made up the top five.

The bottom five consisted of Sudan, Angola, Libya with Equatorial Guinea and Western Sahara tied on number 54. AfDB said it was looking at ways to further improve the rankings.

“In future editions, the report will look at how countries are facilitating visa openness by cutting time, reducing costs or simplifying the visa process as well as how far a visitor’s experience on the ground matches up to the agreements or visa policies in place on paper,” the AfDB said.

The African Union is pushing towards greater openness, which according to experts will aid the continent’s economic growth. The AU has since launched an African passport that in time will allow citizens to traverse the whole continent freely.

— New Ziana.