African leaders and development bodies are urging for visa-free travel across the continent, framing the free movement of people as key to driving economic growth under the African Continental Free Trade Area.

The call came during a high-level symposium co-hosted by the African Development Bank Group and the African Union Commission alongside the AU summit in Addis Ababa.

Attendees highlighted that restrictive visa rules continue to hinder intra-African trade, investment, services, tourism, and workforce mobility.

According to the African Development Bank, just five African countries—Seychelles, Mozambique, Rwanda, Comoros, and Madagascar—grant visa-free entry or visas on arrival to citizens of all African nations. In contrast, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Sudan require citizens from every African country to obtain a visa.

On average, African citizens need a visa for 60 per cent of African countries, with Somalia at the highest (84 per cent) and The Gambia at the lowest (41 per cent).

Addressing the challenge, Director-General for Eastern Africa at the African Development Bank Group, Alex Mubiru, said that visa-free travel, interoperable digital systems, and integrated markets are key enablers for entrepreneurship, innovation, and regional value chains, turning policy goals into tangible economic outcomes.

“The evidence is clear. The economics support openness. The human story demands it,” he told participants, urging countries to move from incremental reforms to “transformative change”.

Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development at the African Union Commission, Amma Twum-Amoah, urged faster implementation of existing continental frameworks, describing visa openness as a strategic tool to strengthen regional markets and improve coordinated responses to economic and humanitarian challenges.

Former African Union Commission Chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma emphasized that free movement is a cornerstone of the African Union’s long-term development plan, Agenda 2063.

“If we accept that we are Africans, then we must be able to move freely across our continent, “she said, urging member states to implement initiatives like the African Passport and the Free Movement of Persons Protocol.

Ghana’s Trade and Industry Minister, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, highlighted her country’s experience as an early adopter of open visa policies for African travellers, noting that greater openness has already boosted business travel, tourism, and investor interest.

The symposium also examined the latest Africa Visa Openness Index, which reveals that over half of intra-African travel still requires visas in advance—a factor participants identified as a major barrier to trade across the continent.

Ethiopian Airlines CEO Mesfin Bekele urged full implementation of the Single African Air Transport Market, linking aviation connectivity with visa liberalisation. Regional leaders, including SADC’s Elias Magosi, stressed trust, border management, and digital information-sharing as key enablers.