African business leaders and experts have renewed calls for a continent-wide visa-free policy, arguing that breaking a major barrier to free movement is essential to boosting trade, tourism and regional integration of the continent.

Mesfin Bekele, chief executive officer of Ethiopian Airlines Group, one of the biggest airlines in Africa, described visa liberalization as critical to stimulating intra-African travel and strengthening air connectivity.

Despite gradual progress, he said Africa’s air connectivity remains among the weakest globally, largely because the demand for travel within the continent is low. Even for Ethiopian Airlines, he said most passengers fly between Africa and other regions rather than within Africa itself.

Bekele said more than 35 percent of passengers traveling between Africa and the rest of the world are transported by non-African airlines, while African airlines account for only about 30 percent of that market share.

“Lifting visa requirements would significantly increase the number of Africans traveling within the continent, thereby creating stronger demand for intra-African air services,” he said.

A more competitive African aviation industry, he said, would improve connectivity, reduce airfares and stimulate economic activity.

Ras Mubarak, campaign lead for the Trans-Africa Tourism and Unity Campaign, urged governments to accelerate ratification of the African Union’s Protocol on Free Movement of Persons and project a more positive image of the continent.

He said only four African countries — Sao Tome, Rwanda, Nigeria, and Mali - have ratified the protocol.

“If we are serious about a visa-free Africa by 2030, more countries must lead by example,” he said, citing Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Egypt, and South Africa as pivotal players.

“When people move freely, governments may lose some visa fees, but this is offset by hotel occupancy, trade activity, and the jobs created,” he explained. “A dollar spent outside Africa is a dollar impoverishing our people and costing African youth employment.”

Mohi El Din Salem, Sudan’s minister of foreign affairs, proposed interim solutions to address security and sovereignty concerns, including interoperable identification systems and single electronic visas. Digital tools, he said, could help accelerate progress even before full ratification of the free movement protocol.

“Free movement is about more than people crossing borders — it’s about enabling jobs, trade, and economic development. Practical, technology-driven solutions, supported by strong political will, can make a borderless Africa a reality,” he said during a recent AU meeting.

Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, Ghana’s minister of trade, agribusiness and industry, said that eliminating tariffs alone is not enough to unlock the potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area.

“The $3.4 trillion market potential of AfCFTA cannot be fully realized if businesses cannot meet face-to-face, negotiate deals, establish partnerships, and build cross-border value chains,” she said.

Slow momentum

Regional economic blocs pointed to progress but acknowledged slow momentum at the continental level.

Elias Mpedi Magosi, executive secretary of the Southern African Development Community, said only four of the AU’s 54 member states have ratified free movement instruments, raising questions about Africa’s readiness to deepen integration.

“That says a lot about our commitment as a continent,” Magosi said.

Within the SADC, Zimbabwe, Mauritius, and Seychelles grant visa-free access to regional citizens, while Botswana and Namibia allow cross-border travel using national identity cards, he said.

Andrea Aguer Ariik Malueth, deputy secretary general of the East African Community, said all the eight EAC member states now issue visas on arrival free of charge to East Africans, with many permitting travel using national IDs. The bloc has also introduced a common East African passport.

“You cannot move goods without people moving them,” he said, adding that harmonized systems and interoperable border processes are key to building trust in the free movement agenda.

Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, founder and executive chairman of the Africa Prosperity Network, said visa-free travel must move beyond declarations and become a people-driven demand.

“The whole idea of Pan-Africanism and African integration has been restricted to the elite. It has never really been owned and driven by the people,” he said.

His organization is seeking to broaden the conversation to factories, shops, campuses, and marketplaces across the continent, encouraging small and medium-sized enterprises and young entrepreneurs to view integration as central to their economic future.

Under Africa Prosperity Network’s 12-point call to action, visa-free travel, open skies, and continent-wide mobile money interoperability are central pillars.

To press the implementation, Otchere-Darko announced a QR code-based signature campaign that has already attracted more than 76,000 supporters. Launched early February, the initiative aims to mobilize 10 million signatures within 24 months, and present them to African leaders as a clear call for faster action.

edithmutethya@chinadaily.com.cn