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- Source: South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa and Ghana’s Nana Akufo-Addo shake hands during their meeting in Accra, Ghana./Photo: South African Presidency
- Date: 15/10/2023
Ghana and South Africa Sign Visa-Free Agreement, Boosting Tourism and Trade
Published By Everything ZA Travel
On October 13, 2023, Ghana and South Africa signed a visa-free agreement, allowing citizens of both countries to travel to and from each other’s territory without visas for a period of 90 days each year. The agreement took effect on November 1, 2023.
This is a significant development for relations between the two countries and will boost tourism and trade. It will also make it easier for people from both countries to visit family and friends.
Previously, Ghanaians needed a visa to enter South Africa, and vice versa. Ghanaians also did not qualify for a visa on arrival, so they had to apply and obtain a visa from the South African embassy in Accra. This process could take weeks or even months, as the embassy was often overwhelmed with applications.
For Ernest Apraku, a Ghanaian traveler, the new visa-free regime is a welcome relief. He told BBC Pidgin that it took him two months to get his visa the last time he traveled to South Africa for vacation.
“From the time I applied at the VFS visa application center to when the visa was ready, it took two months and one week,” he said.
With the new visa-free agreement, Apraku and other Ghanaians will no longer have to go through this time-consuming and stressful process. They will be able to travel to South Africa more easily and spontaneously, which is likely to boost tourism and business between the two countries.
The Ghana-South Africa visa-free agreement is part of a growing trend towards visa-free travel in Africa. In recent years, a number of African countries have signed visa-free agreements with each other, making it easier for people to travel and trade within the continent. This is a positive development for African integration and is likely to boost economic growth and prosperity across the continent.
