Rwanda Introduces Visa-Free Entry for all Africans

Rwandan President Paul Kagame has introduced visa-free travel for all Africans, making Rwanda the fourth African country to do so.

President Kagame said on Thursday that any African can get on a plane to Rwanda whenever they wish and will not pay a thing to enter our country.

He added that that the move was aimed at capitalizing on Africa’s growing tourism market, driven by the continent’s growing middle class.

Rwanda now joins Seychelles, the Gambia and Benin, as the only African countries that provide visa-free entry for all African citizens.

This week, Kenya’s president William Ruto announced that the country would end visa requirements to all African visitors by 2024.

Several African countries have also entered bilateral agreements for visa-free travel, most recently Ghana and South Africa, and Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

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Currently, the continent heavily depends on tourists from outside Africa, accounting for 60% of its total visitors, according to data from the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.

“Any African can get on a plane to Rwanda whenever they wish and they will not pay a thing to enter our country,” said Kagame during the 23rd Global Summit of the World Travel and Tourism Council.

“We should not lose sight of our own continental market. Africans are the future of global tourism as our middle class continues to grow at a fast pace in the decades to come,” he said.

Rwanda is poised to become the latest African nation to eliminate travel restrictions for fellow Africans, following in the footsteps of Gambia, Benin, and Seychelles.

Similarly, in a recent development, Kenya’s President William Ruto has revealed plans to allow visa-free travel to Kenya for all Africans by December 31.