SADC to pilot UniVisa scheme in five African nations

Five Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states have been selected to pilot the UniVisa scheme, a common tourism visa designed to allow travelers to move across all 16 member states using a single document. The pilot phase will include Mozambique, Angola, South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe.

Approved during the 46th SADC Summit in Durban, South Africa, the initiative aims to facilitate intra-regional travel, boost tourism, deepen regional integration, and stimulate investment. The technical and legal frameworks for the UniVisa were developed based on existing models, such as the Kaza UniVisa used by Zambia and Zimbabwe, and the East African tourist visa.

The pilot program will serve to stress-test IT systems, legal frameworks, and revenue-sharing models before a potential expansion to the rest of the SADC region. The announcement comes amid discussions regarding migration and xenophobic violence in South Africa, which was addressed by President Cyril Ramaphosa during the summit.