For many Africans, the power of a passport determines how freely they can explore the world. The 2025 Henley Passport Index has once again ranked African countries based on how many destinations their citizens can visit without a visa and the results show Southern Africa leading the way.

Seychelles

Seychelles remains Africa’s strongest passport in 2025. Citizens of the island nation can travel to 156 destinations without needing a visa. This makes the Seychelles passport not just the best in Africa, but one of the strongest globally. The country’s long-standing international partnerships and stable diplomacy continue to make global travel easier for its citizens.

Mauritius 

Mauritius follows in second place, giving its passport holders visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 149 destinations. The small island nation has built a reputation for good governance and strong foreign relations, which have helped its citizens move across the world with little restriction.

South Africa 

South Africa ranks third on the continent with 103 destinations open without a prior visa. Despite recent economic challenges, South Africa’s global influence and diplomatic reach continue to keep its passport among the most respected in Africa. For many travelers, it remains a strong ticket for regional and international travel.

Botswana 

Botswana is ranked fourth, giving its citizens access to 85 destinations without a visa. The country’s consistent political stability and active participation in global affairs have helped it secure travel partnerships across Africa, Europe, and Asia.

Namibia 

Namibia comes fifth, allowing visa-free or visa-on-arrival entry into 79 destinations. The southern African nation continues to strengthen its foreign relations, ensuring its citizens can move more freely across borders than most on the continent.

What you should know

Southern Africa dominates the top spots

A closer look at the 2025 rankings shows that Southern African countries dominate the list. Lesotho, Eswatini, and Botswana all performed well, highlighting the region’s strong diplomatic ties and growing global recognition.

Meanwhile, East and West African countries like Malawi, Morocco, Kenya, and The Gambia also showed progress, though they still trail behind the top five. Each of these nations now grants access to over 70 destinations, reflecting a slow but steady improvement in regional mobility.

Nigeria makes slight progress

Nigeria’s passport moved up four spots in 2025, now ranked 88th globally. It gives holders visa-free access to 45 destinations, sharing the same position with Ethiopia and Myanmar. While the improvement is notable, Nigeria still has a long way to go compared to the continent’s leaders.