Kenya and South Africa Agree on Visa-Free Entry

Kenya and South Africa recently agreed on a mutually beneficial, reciprocal visa-free entry deal. The deal comes into effect in January 2023 and will allow citizens of both countries to enter each other’s borders without a visa.

“We agreed that, indeed, Kenyans should be able to visit South Africa without requiring them to have visas… this dispensation will commence on the 1st of January 2023 and that our officials will speed up the processes of putting it into effect,” President Cyril Ramaphosa said during a state visit to Kenya’s capital city, Nairobi, on Wednesday, November 9th. Kenya’s President William Ruto confirmed that citizens holding ordinary passports will be able to visit South Africa without a visa. The presidents confirmed that there would be measures implemented to ensure the 90-day visits are not abused.

President Ruto added that the meeting between the two leaders resulted in more discussions of bilateral relations between the countries. South Africa and Kenya have a trading relationship and the countries are looking to strengthen those trading ties.

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There was an agreement that would encourage artistic and creative citizens from both countries to work with each other. “Part of the agreement that we have signed today…is specifically to facilitate the art and creative industry to work together and to leverage on knowledge, to leverage on infrastructure, to leverage on all the facets of the creative industry,” President Ruto said.

During the state visit, the leaders of both these countries recognized that they have domestic and regional challenges to resolve, deciding that the issue would be best dealt with using internal solutions. “We have also agreed that we need to remain focused on the issues affecting our region and our continent, and not be distracted by other global matters that are not of our making. We advocate for African solutions for African problems,” Ramaphosa said to reporters.