South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs has confirmed that citizens of 22 African countries can visit the country without obtaining a visa in advance in 2026.
The updated visa exemption list covers holders of ordinary, diplomatic, official, service and special passports, with approved stays ranging from 30 to 90 days depending on the traveller’s nationality and passport type.
The countries granted visa-free access are:
Algeria – 30 days
Benin – 30 days or less
Botswana – 90 days or less
Cabo Verde – 30 days or less
Comoros – 90 days
Côte d’Ivoire – 30 days
Gabon – 30 days or less
Guinea – 90 days
Kenya – 30 days
Lesotho – 30 days or less
Madagascar – 30 days
Malawi – 30 days or less
Mauritius – 30 days or less
Mozambique – 90 days
Namibia – 30 days or less
Rwanda – 30 days
Seychelles – 30 days or less
Eswatini – 30 days or less
Tanzania – 90 days for ordinary passport holders
Tunisia – 90 days
Zambia – 30 days or less
Zimbabwe – 90 days or less
The Department noted that the visa waiver applies mainly to ordinary passport holders, although some exemptions are limited to diplomatic or official passports.
Several member states of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) are included, reflecting existing regional travel agreements. Holders of SADC and African Union laissez-passer travel documents also qualify for visa-free entry under separate provisions.
Travellers are advised to verify the entry conditions for their passport category before departure, as visa requirements and permitted lengths of stay differ by country.
The exemption list also includes several non-African countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden and Switzerland.
