For the first time, your South African passport now gives you access to more than 100 countries in the world without the need for a visa. Security measures preventing forgery of passports have been tightened and more countries have opened their gates to South Africans.
The United Kingdom is one of the countries where a visa for South Africans became a requirement after the Department of Home Affairs was caught issuing illegal passports. The security features of the physical passport were improved, and confidence in South African passports is increasing again.
According to the Henley Passport Index, Japan and Singapore’s passports are the most valuable in the world with access to 189 countries without a visa. Germany is hot on their heels, followed by Denmark, Sweden and Italy. South Africa is 50th with access to 102 countries without a visa. Your South African passport gives you access to, among others, Ireland, Argentina, Seychelles, South Korea, Singapore, Israel and the Russian Federation without having to apply for a visa beforehand. You can stay in Mauritius for 90 days without a visa, 120 days in Armenia, four months in Fiji and up to six months at a time in Barbados.
Access with South African passports has already increased with 12 countries since 2017, but other African countries such as Seychelles and Mauritius still have an edge on South Africa with a 24th and 28th place, respectively.
Access to other countries is becoming increasingly important worldwide. About 20 000 investors are looking for double citizenship annually and countries are increasingly dependent on tourism. It is still worth keeping your South African passport, even if you already live in another country. More countries are added to the list every year and it does not only make it easier to travel, but also cheaper!
Here is a table indicating which countries require a visa.
Table: Countries that South Africans can visit without a visa
| COUNTRIES THAT DO NOT REQUIRE A VISA | PERIOD FOR WHICH IT IS VALID | COUNTRIES THAT REQUIRE A VISA |
| Angola | 30 days | Australia |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 1 month | Belgium |
| Argentina | 90 days | China |
| Armenia | 120 days | Colombia |
| Azerbaijan | 3 months | Denmark |
| Bahrein | Germany | |
| Barbados | 6 months | Egypt |
| Belize | Eritrea | |
| Benin | 90 days | Finland |
| Bolivia | 90 days; visa on arrival | France |
| Botswana | 90 days | Greece |
| Brazil | 90 days | Hungary |
| Chile | 90 days | Iraq |
| Comoros | Visa on arrival | Italy |
| Costa Rica | 90 days | Yemen |
| Dominica | 6 months | Canada |
| Dominican Republic | Kuwait | |
| Ecuador | 90 days | Croatia |
| El Salvador | 90 days | Cuba |
| Ethiopia | Visa on arrival | Lebanon |
| Fiji | 4 months | Liberia |
| Philippines | 30 days | Libya |
| Gabon | 30 days | Luxembourg |
| Georgia | 1 year | Mali |
| Ghana | Visa on arrival | Malta |
| Grenada | 3 months | Morocco |
| Guatemala | 90 days | Meciko |
| Guyana | 3 months | Monaco |
| Haïti | 3 months | Mongolia |
| Honduras | 90 days | Montenegro |
| Ireland | 3 months | Netherlands |
| India | 60 days; E-visa | New Zealand |
| Indonesia | 30 days | Nigeria |
| Iran | Visa on arrival | North Korea |
| Israel | 90 days | Norway |
| Jamaica | 180 days | Ukraine |
| Jordan | 30 days; visa on arrival | Austria |
| Cape Verde | Visa on arrival | Pakistan |
| Cambodia | 30 days; visa on arrival | Poland |
| Kenya | 90 days | Portugal |
| Laos | 30 days | Republic of the Congo |
| Lesotho | 90 days | Romania |
| Madagascar | 30 days; visa on arrival | Slovakia |
| Malawi | 90 days | Slovenia |
| Maldives | 90 days | Spain |
| Malaysia | 90 days | Switzerland |
| Marshall Islands | 90 days | Tonga |
| Mauritania | Czech Republic | |
| Mauritius | 90 days | United Arab Emirates |
| Myanmar | 28 days | United Kingdom |
| Micronesia | 30 days | United States of America |
| Mozambique | 3 months | Vietnam |
| Namibia | 3 months | Iceland |
| Nepal | 90 days; visa on arrival | |
| Oman | 30 days; E-visa | |
| Panama | 180 days | |
| Paraguay | 90 days | |
| Peru | 180 days | |
| Russia | 90 days | |
| Rwanda | 30 days; visa on arrival | |
| Senegal | ||
| Seychelles | 3 months; visa on arrival | |
| Singapore | 30 days | |
| Saint Lucia | 6 weeks | |
| Somalia | 30 days; visa on arrival | |
| Sri Lanka | 30 days; visa on arrival | |
| South Korea | 30 days | |
| Swaziland | 30 days | |
| Tanzania | 90 days | |
| Thailand | 30 days | |
| Tunisia | 3 months | |
| Turkey | 30 days; visa on arrival | |
| Uganda | Visa on arrival | |
| Uruguay | 90 days | |
| Venezuela | 90 days | |
| Zambia | 90 days | |
| Zimbabwe | 3 months |
