NATIONAL NEWS - Every year, Arton Capital publishes its Passport Index Report, which ranks travel documents by the number of countries that can be visited without having to apply for a visa.
South Africa sits at 103, highlighting the ranking and number of countries our citizens can travel to without having to apply for a visa beforehand.
The highest-ranking passports are from the United Arab Emirates (179), Germany (172), Spain (172), Denmark (171), and Portugal (171) amongst many other countries.
Although the world is certainly showing signs of much stricter border control, the system is still a lot better than in the past.
When it comes to the world of global mobility — positive democracy and increasing value in passport power — the 2010s truly left a lasting mark with more countries opening up their borders to foreign visitors.
“One of the most fascinating discoveries of the decade is witnessing the rise of the fallen in low-ranking African countries who have not only shown improvement in their ranks but have managed to escape the Bottom 10 over the past decade; including Angola, Burundi, Comoros Islands, Djibouti, and Equatorial Guinea,” said Arton Capital.
South Africa sits at a comfortable average with improved relations with BRICS countries and strengthening bonds with other African countries. It fell down the ranks at the beginning of the decade but has steadily risen over the past four years.
South Africans could travel to 94 countries visa-free in 2018, from 90 countries at the end of 2017.
According to Arton Capital, SA currently (2020) has access to 103 countries without a visa (64 visa-free and 39 visa-on-arrival).
This number could improve in the next year as the Department of Home Affairs plans to implement a range of visa changes to encourage foreign investment and travel.
Here are the 103 countries you can travel to visa-free or visa-on-arrival as a South African:
