Keypoints:
- Leaders say mobility is key to AfCFTA success
- Visa barriers still restrict intra-African trade
- Aviation and digital reforms seen as critical
AFRICAN policymakers, business leaders and development institutions have renewed calls for visa-free travel across the continent, arguing that unrestricted movement of people is essential to unlocking Africa’s economic transformation under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The renewed momentum emerged during a High-Level Symposium on Advancing a Visa-Free Africa for Economic Prosperity, jointly convened by the African Development Bank Group and the African Union Commission on the sidelines of the 39th African Union Summit of Heads of State and Government in Addis Ababa.
Mobility framed as AfCFTA’s missing link
Participants at the symposium said Africa’s integration agenda risks slowing unless mobility barriers are addressed alongside tariff reductions already underway under AfCFTA.
While trade agreements are lowering customs duties, restrictive visa regimes continue to limit trade in services, investment flows, tourism expansion and labour mobility — sectors widely viewed as critical drivers of modern African economies.
Speakers argued that without easier cross-border movement for entrepreneurs, professionals and investors, AfCFTA’s promise of a single African market may remain incomplete, making visa liberalisation a central pillar of economic integration rather than a secondary reform.
Alex Mubiru, Director General for Eastern Africa at the African Development Bank Group, said practical enablers such as visa-free travel, interoperable digital systems and integrated markets were necessary to translate policy ambition into measurable economic activity.
‘The evidence is clear. The economics support openness. The human story demands it,’ Mubiru told participants, urging governments to move beyond incremental reforms toward ‘transformative change’.
African Union urges faster implementation
African Union officials emphasised that continental frameworks supporting free movement already exist but require stronger political commitment and faster implementation.
Amma A. Twum-Amoah, Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development at the African Union Commission, described visa openness as a strategic lever for strengthening regional markets and improving coordinated responses to economic and humanitarian crises.
She noted that improved mobility could enhance collaboration among African professionals while supporting resilience during emergencies affecting multiple countries simultaneously.
Former African Union Commission Chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma reinforced the argument, linking free movement directly to Agenda 2063, the AU’s long-term development blueprint.
‘If we accept that we are Africans, then we must be able to move freely across our continent,’ she said, calling on member states to operationalise initiatives such as the African Passport and the Free Movement of Persons Protocol.
Ghana cites gains from open visa policies
Ghana’s Trade and Industry Minister, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, highlighted her country’s experience with relatively open visa policies for African travellers, presenting it as evidence that mobility reforms can deliver economic benefits.
According to the minister, Ghana has recorded increases in business travel, tourism activity and investor engagement since easing entry requirements for African nationals.
Delegates said such national examples demonstrate how visa liberalisation can support small and medium-sized enterprises seeking regional expansion opportunities.
Visa restrictions remain widespread
Despite progress, discussions referenced findings from the latest Africa Visa Openness Index showing that more than half of intra-African travel still requires visas obtained before departure.
Participants described these requirements as a major obstacle to intra-continental commerce, particularly for startups and service-sector professionals who face administrative delays and higher travel costs.
Business leaders warned that maintaining restrictive systems risks undermining innovation ecosystems and slowing the development of regional value chains envisioned under AfCFTA.
Aviation and connectivity reforms prioritised
Industry stakeholders stressed that visa liberalisation must advance alongside improvements in aviation connectivity and border infrastructure.
Mesfin Bekele, Chief Executive Officer of Ethiopian Airlines, called for accelerated implementation of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), arguing that seamless air connectivity and open visa regimes must progress together.
Regional organisations also emphasised trust-building through improved border governance and digital information-sharing.
Elias Magosi, Executive Secretary of the Southern Africa Development Community, said coordinated digital systems could help governments manage security concerns while enabling freer movement.
Civil society and business groups push momentum
Advocacy groups used the forum to urge governments to accelerate ratification of continental agreements supporting mobility.
Gabby Otchere Darko, Executive Chairman of the Africa Prosperity Network, encouraged support for the ‘Make Africa Borderless Now’ campaign, while tourism advocate Ras Mubarak called for wider adoption of the AU Free Movement of Persons protocol.
Participants agreed that achieving a visa-free Africa would require alignment of migration policies, digital identity systems and border infrastructure, backed by sustained political leadership.
In a symbolic gesture, attendees signed a ‘passport wall’, signalling collective support for reforms aimed at easing movement across African borders.
Mobility central to Africa’s long-term growth
In a joint statement, the African Development Bank Group and the African Union Commission said they would continue working with member states and regional bodies to advance coordinated mobility policies.
Officials described free movement as a cornerstone of Africa’s competitiveness and long-term economic growth, arguing that AfCFTA’s full potential depends not only on trade rules but also on the ability of Africans to travel, collaborate and invest freely across the continent.
As the symposium concluded, delegates broadly agreed that visa-free travel is no longer merely a political aspiration but an economic necessity increasingly viewed as central to Africa’s next phase of development.
