
Audio By Carbonatix
Rwanda announced Thursday that it will allow Africans to travel visa-free to the country, becoming the latest nation on the continent to announce such a measure aimed at boosting free movement of people and trade to rival Europe’s Schengen zone.
President Paul Kagame made the announcement in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, where he pitched the potential of Africa as “a unified tourism destination” for a continent that still relies on 60% of its tourists from outside Africa, 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," he said. "Africans are the future of global tourism as our middle class continues to grow at a fast pace in the decades to come."
Once implemented, Rwanda will become the fourth African country to remove travel restrictions for Africans. Other countries that have waived visas to African nationals are Gambia, Benin and Seychelles.
Kenya’s President William Ruto announced Monday plans to allow all Africans to travel to the East African nation visa-free by December 31.
“Visa restrictions amongst ourselves is working against us. When people cannot travel, business people cannot travel, entrepreneurs cannot travel we all become net losers” said Ruto at an international summit in Congo Brazzaville.
The African Union in 2016 launched an African passport with much fanfare, saying it would rival the European Union model in “unleashing the potential of the continent.” However, only diplomats and AU officials have been issued the travel document so far.
The African Passport and free movement of people is "aimed at removing restrictions on Africans ability to travel, work and live within their own continent,” The AU says on its website.
AU also launched the African Continental Free Trade Area, a continent-wide free trade area estimated to be worth $3.4 trillion, which aims to create a single unified market for the continent’s 1.3 billion people and to boost economic development.
Latest Stories
-
Kuami Eugene joins UNICEF Ghana to promote universal birth registration
1 minute -
Renard warns Côte d’Ivoire against complacency Ahead of Ghana clash
4 minutes -
‘Can the patient feel the difference?’ – GMTF boss challenges health leaders
4 minutes -
Office of the Registrar of Companies marks Risk Awareness Week with push for risk-smart, resilient institution
15 minutes -
Full text: Mahama’s speech at high-level side event on return and restitution of cultural properties and heritage
18 minutes -
ICU urges Ghanaian smock weavers to scale up production for local and export markets
19 minutes -
Human remains are not collectibles, specimens – Mahama demands restitution of Africa’s heritage
20 minutes -
EOCO, Baffour Awuah clash: Article 117 does not give MPs blanket protection from arrest – Samson Ayenini
22 minutes -
Mahama unveils 3 pillars to advance global reparatory justice agenda
40 minutes -
JoyNews Democracy Is Not for Sale regional dialogue – My take
45 minutes -
US ready to work with Ghana on reparatory justice despite opposing UN resolution – Ablakwa
56 minutes -
UK, Netherlands, Denmark ready to work with Ghana on reparatory justice – Ablakwa
1 hour -
Ghana TVET Service partners TOR to strengthen industry skills training
1 hour -
KNUST hosts Nyansapo Photonics School, commissions GPOL to boost research and innovation
1 hour -
Minority Leader outlines procedure for security agencies seeking to arrest MPs
1 hour