Keypoints:
- Ghanaian journalist Ras Mubarak tours 39 African countries calling for visa-free travel
- Meets Uganda’s President Museveni and tourism officials during campaign
- Says easing borders will boost tourism and reshape Africa’s global image
A GHANAIAN journalist and former member of parliament is drawing continental attention after embarking on a sweeping 40,000-kilometre road trip to make the case for visa-free travel across Africa. Ras Mubarak, widely known for his advocacy on African identity, is driving through 39 countries in what he calls a ‘Trans African Tourism and Unity Campaign’, arguing that free movement is essential to unlocking the continent’s economic and cultural potential.
Cross-continent journey for unity
Ras Mubarak set off from Accra on August 18 in a black Toyota Land Cruiser, beginning a route that cuts through West, Central, East and Southern Africa. According to Uganda’s Daily Monitor, by the time he reached Kampala in mid-November he had already passed through 21 countries, including Nigeria, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola, Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Tanzania and Rwanda.
His message at each stop is consistent: Africa must scrap internal visa requirements or risk limiting the very integration leaders claim to pursue. He argues that African citizens travelling within Africa should not face higher entry barriers than visitors from outside the continent.
‘Our aim is to convince Africa to go visa-free for all African visitors,’ he told Daily Monitor, adding that free mobility is a practical step rather than a lofty ideal.
Warm reception in Uganda
In Uganda, Ras Mubarak visited the Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre before travelling to Mayuge District, where he met President Yoweri Museveni along the campaign trail. He highlighted Uganda’s natural attractions and urged stronger coordination between governments to grow domestic tourism.
President Museveni, he said, expressed support for the campaign’s goal of encouraging Africans to explore the continent freely. Uganda’s tourism officials also welcomed him, describing his journey as a powerful tool for changing perceptions about African safety and accessibility.
Rewriting Africa’s global image
A key theme in his advocacy is the need to counter negative stereotypes about Africa. Mubarak said despite driving thousands of kilometres through some of the continent’s most remote corridors, he had not experienced the dangers often portrayed in Western media.
He argued that unbalanced international coverage harms local tourism markets, costing African countries jobs and revenue. ‘Africa is safer than it has been portrayed,’ he said, adding that Africans themselves must take the lead in reshaping global narratives.
Surprises, challenges and lessons on the road
Along the journey, Mubarak described Equatorial Guinea and Rwanda as standout countries, praising their infrastructure, organisation and cleanliness. Cameroon, on the other hand, had what he called the most difficult roads of the trip so far.
He also singled out Uganda’s border control as one of the continent’s most efficient, reporting that his team cleared immigration in under 30 minutes — a rarity during his travels.
A vision for a borderless Africa
Currently, only nine African countries offer visa-free entry to all African nationals. His long-term ambition is a fully visa-free continent by 2030.
After leaving Uganda on November 18, the Ghanaian delegation planned to continue through Ethiopia and Kenya, then navigate the Central African Republic, Chad, Niger, Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Cote d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso before returning home.
For Africa Briefing’s audience of policymakers, researchers and travel-industry analysts, his trip offers a vivid demonstration of mobility as a tool for economic transformation. Whether African leaders act on his challenge may determine the future of intra-Africa tourism — and the continent’s ability to define itself on the world stage.
