Photo: Unsplash
Photo: Unsplash
We all know that the famous ‘Green Mamba‘ isn’t exactly the greatest passport in the world. But as South Africans, it’s the best many of us will ever get. The Henley & Partners travel index has been updated for 2020, with Mzansi having to settle for a mid-table finish. In total, 101 countries are accessible for SA nationals on a visa-free basis.
Visa-free destinations revealed
Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, Chairman of Henley & Partners, has stated that travel patterns are changing dramatically amid the landscape of a pandemic. People in wealth and privileged positions no longer enjoy the absolute freedom they once had:
“For citizens of wealthy and democratic countries such as Canada, the UK, the US, and Western European nations, travel freedom is something that has been taken for granted for decades. The pandemic has abruptly changed this, and with the significant loss of access and privilege has come to a re-evaluation.”
“As countries around the world battle to manage a new category of risk, there’s been a shift away from travel freedom… towards a realization that it is now a necessary luxury for those wishing to access first-class education, business opportunities, and quality healthcare for themselves and their families.”
Who has the most powerful passport in the world?
Officially speaking, a Japanese passport is the most powerful in the world. It will grant you access to 191 countries, narrowly edging out Singapore in second. South Korea and Germany complete the top four, with Germany, Italy and Spain all boasting some of the most liberal travel documents in the world.
By comparison, only 101 countries are available to visit visa-free from South Africa – a stat that leaves our nation in 52nd place. Only three European states will allow SA nationals to visit without paperwork – Kosovo, Ireland, and Russia. The worst passport in the world, according to the survey, belongs to Afghanistan.
| Rank | Country | How many nations you can access with this passport |
| 1 | Japan | 191 |
| 2 | Singapore | 190 |
| 3= | South Korea | 189 |
| 3= | Germany | 189 |
| 4= | Italy | 188 |
| 4= | Finland | 188 |
| 4= | Spain | 188 |
| 4= | Luxembourg | 188 |
| 5= | Denmark | 187 |
| 5= | Austria | 187 |
| 52 | South Africa | 101 |
| 106 | Afghanistan | 26 (bottom of the pile) |
Visa-free travel list for South Africans
Asia
- Cambodia *
- Hong Kong (SAR China)
- Indonesia
- Kyrgyzstan *
- Laos *
- Macao (SAR China)
- Malaysia
- Maldives *
- Nepal *
- Philippines
- Singapore
- South Korea
- Sri Lanka **
- Tajikistan *
- Thailand
- Timor-Leste *
Europe
- Ireland
- Kosovo
- Russia
Africa
- Angola
- Benin
- Botswana
- Cape Verde Islands *
- Comores Islands *
- Eswatini (Swaziland)
- Ethiopia *
- Gabon
- Ghana *
- Guinea-Bissau *
- Kenya
- Lesotho
- Madagascar *
- Malawi
- Mauritania *
- Mauritius
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Nigeria *
- Reunion
- Rwanda *
- Senegal
- Seychelles *
- Sierra Leone *
- Somalia *
- St. Helena *
- Tanzania
- Togo *
- Tunisia
- Uganda *
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Oceania
- Cook Islands
- Fiji
- Marshall Islands *
- Micronesia
- Niue
- Palau Islands *
- Samoa *
- Tuvalu *
- Vanuatu
Carribean
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- British Virgin Islands
- Cayman Islands
- Dominica / Dominican Republic
- Grenada
- Haiti
- Jamaica
- Montserrat
- St. Kitts and Nevis
- St. Lucia
- St. Vincent and the Grenadines
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Turks and Caicos Islands
The Americas
- Argentina
- Belize
- Bolivia *
- Brazil
- Chile
- Costa Rica
- Ecuador
- El Salvador
- Falkland Islands
- Guatemala
- Guyana
- Honduras
- Nicaragua
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Uruguay
Middle East
- Armenia *
- Georgia
- Iran *
- Israel
- Jordan *
- Palestinian Territory
- Qatar
- * Visa on arrival
- ** eTA
