By Alana Bailey

The monthly passport index by immigration specialists Henley and Partners is considered to be the most authoritative source on countries’ entry requirements and the value of passports.

According to the latest index, South African passports are 50th best on the list of countries’ passports that allow you to gain visa-free access to other countries.

Henley’s index collects information on 199 different countries’ passports and 227 countries’ entry requirements.

Currently, travellers with South African passports can visit 101 countries without visas. This includes popular destinations such as most countries in Africa, several in South America including Argentina, Peru and Brazil, as well as islands such as the Maldives, Asian destinations such as Japan and Thailand, and even the popular tourist destination of Turkey.

There is a noticeable deterioration – in 2023, AfriForum Worldwide reported that 106 countries could be visited visa-free. Still, fiftieth out of 199 countries is not too bad.

For people wondering about the capabilities of other countries’ passports, Henley and Partners’ website (https://www.henleyglobal.com/passport-index) is the answer! You simply type in the country that issued the passport and you will instantly get a list of countries which you can access easily, plus other interesting features including an interactive world map, the passport’s ranking and a graph of its performance in past years.

Prospective travellers should remember that the index is updated monthly and that it remains safest to contact the consulate of the country you want to travel to, to make sure which requirements will apply to you at the time of your journey. Sometimes airlines will provide useful information and of course a reliable travel agency can help ensure that there will be no nasty surprises waiting for you at a border post!