Visas can be pesky little things when it comes to travelling.
They often cause frustration because of all the required applications and costs to enter a specific country.
However, there are visa-free destinations for South Africans. Let’s take a look so you can ditch the paperwork.
Where can South Africans visit without a visa?
According to statistics from the Passport Index, the South African passport ranks 43rd in the Passport Power Rank (out of 95) and has a World Reach of 55%. South Africans can travel to 58 countries visa-free, five with an ETA (Electronic Travel Visa), 47 with a visa on arrival, and 88 with a visa.
While you can stay visa-free, it’s important to remember that each country will have its own regulations around the duration of your stay. Some countries permit short-term and others long-term stays, for example, 30 days, 90 days or more. Additionally, remember that visa-free does not mean passport-free, so don’t forget to pack that little green book.
Below are the countries grouped by continent that are visa-free:
Africa
- Angola
- Benin
- Botswana
- Eswatini
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Ghana
- Kenya
- Lesotho
- Malawi
- Mauritius
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Rwanda
- Tanzania
- Tunisia
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
America (North, Central, and South)
- Argentina
- Belize
- Brazil
- Chile
- Costa Rica
- Ecuador
- El Salvador
- Guatemala
- Guyana
- Honduras
- Nicaragua
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Uruguay
- Venezuela
Caribbean
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- Grenada
- Haiti
- Jamaica
- Saint Lucia
- St. Vincent and the Grenadines
- Trinidad and Tobago
Asia
- Georgia
- Hong Kong
- Macao
- Malaysia
- Philippines
- Singapore
- Thailand
- Palestinian Territories
- Russian Federation
Oceania / Pacific Islands
- Fiji
- Kiribati
- Micronesia
- Vanuatu
It’s important to note that while the relevant statistics are derived from reputable sources, it’s common to find that the numbers will vary from different sources. Always check the regulations for the specific country you wish to visit.
