Here`s where SA ranks according to the Henley & Partners passport index. Image: canva
The latest Henley & Partners Passport Index for 2024 lists the 108 countries that South African passport holders can travel to without requiring a visa.
The index includes 199 different passports and 227 different travel destinations, ranking them in terms of travel power.
Each passport was scored on the total number of destinations that the holder can access visa-free.
South Africa placed 52nd with a visa-free score of 108.
South Africa tied with Qatar (also 108) and came just above Belize (104) and below Türkiye (118).
That means there are 108 countries around the world that a South African passport holder can visit visa-free.
Meanwhile, the index found that the Singapore passport was the most powerful in the world with a visa-free score of 195.
France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Spain all tied for the secon spot, while Afghanistan still sits at the bottom of the list with a score of 28.
THE 108 COUNTRIES THAT SOUTH AFRICANS CAN VISIT WITHOUT A VISA PER REGION:
Africa - 35
Americas - 18
Asia - 17
Caribbean - 16
Europe - 4
Middle East - 8
Oceania - 10
THE 108 COUNTRIES SOUTH AFRICANS CAN VISIT VISA-FREE:
* visa on arrival, ** electronic travel authority (ETA)
Angola
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia *
Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Benin
Bolivia *
Botswana
Brazil
British

Virgin Islands
Burundi *
Cambodia *
Cape Verde Islands *
Cayman Islands
Chile
Comoro Islands *
Cook Islands
Costa Rica
Djibouti *
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt *
El Salvador
eSwatini
Ethiopia *
Falkland Islands
Fiji
Gabon
Georgia
Ghana *
Grenada
Guatemala
Guinea-Bissau *
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Hong Kong (SAR China)
Indonesia
Iran *
Ireland
Israel
Jamaica
Jordan *
Kenya
Kiribati
Kosovo
Kyrgyzstan *
Laos *
Lesotho
Macao (SAR China)
Madagascar *
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives *
Marshall Islands *
Mauritania *
Mauritius
Micronesia
Montserrat
Mozambique
Namibia
Nepal *
Nicaragua
Nigeria *
Niue
Oman
Pakistan **
Palau Islands *
Palestinian Territory
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Qatar
Reunion
Russian Federation
Rwanda
Samoa *
Saudi Arabia *
Senegal
Seychelles *
Sierra Leone *
Singapore
Somalia *
South Korea **
Sri Lanka **
St. Helena *
St. Kitts and Nevis
St. Lucia
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Tajikistan *
Tanzania
Thailand
The Gambia
Timor-Leste *
Togo *
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Turks and Caicos Islands
Tuvalu *
Uruguay
Vanuatu
Venezuela
Zambia
Zimbabwe V.5446

One of the highlighted topics: Critical Skills Visa.

- Key Insight: Is your profession on the Critical Skills List? This visa is your fast track to working in South Afr...
- This matter relates to critical skills visa and its broader implications.
- Individuals are advised to seek professional guidance.

Is your profession on the Critical Skills List? This visa is your fast trac V.6139
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One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, became a victim of identity theft in 2012 when fraudulent transactions occurred, using her personal details.

-The Pretoria High Court found that the department of home affairs had violated constitutional rights without due process.
-Only half of Lawyers for Human Rights` test group has been unblocked, while 385 000 identities remain blocked nationwide.
-LHR appeals extension, urges affected people to seek help now.

Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) are intensifying pressure on the department of home affairs over the national ID-blocking crisis, accusing the state of acting too slowly to unblock qualifying individuals despite a landmark court ruling.

In January last year, the Pretoria High Court found that the department`s practice of blocking IDs without due process was unlawful and unconstitutional. One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, a Swati citizen and South African permanent resident since 1998, fell victim to identity theft in 2012 when fraudsters used her personal details.

 V.6133
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6128
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6129
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A Washington state mother and her 6-year-old son have been released after spending more than three weeks in US immigration detention due to a brief trip to Canada and a small paperwork mistake, her attorney told CNN on Saturday.

Sarah Shaw, a New Zealand citizen who has lived legally in the US since she arrived in 2021, was detained at the Blaine, Washington, Customs and Border Protection checkpoint when returning home after dropping her two oldest children off at the Vancouver airport for a flight to visit their grandparents in New Zealand. Shaw, 33, chose the flight out of Vancouver because it was direct and she didn`t want her children to have to navigate a layover alone, her attorney Minda Thorward, told CNN.

 V.6130
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On 22 July 2025, the Gauteng High Court dismissed Sitrusrand Boerdery`s review of the Department of Employment and Labour`s refusal to issue a Working Conditions and Salary Benchmarking Certificate, an essential precondition for obtaining corporate visas under the Immigration Act.

Acting Judge Kekana AJ held that the Department`s decision was lawful, rational and procedurally fair. This judgment illustrates how businesses can - and must - structure their corporate visa applications to meet statutory requirements, and how legal practitioners should prepare robust review challenges when administrative authorities decline to recommend foreign-work permits.

 V.6131
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The United States could forfeit an estimated 9.4 billion dollars in visitor spending over the next three years following the introduction of a new 250 dollars `visa integrity fee,` according to industry groups, who warn the policy risks undermining tourism and costing thousands of jobs.
The United States’ decision to introduce a 250 dollars `visa integrity fee` on international visitors has triggered sharp criticism from the global tourism industry, with officials warning that the measure could deter millions of travellers and cost the U.S. economy billions.
The 250dollar `visa integrity fee,` part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed on July 4, 2025, will take effect later this year. According to immigration law firm Envoy Global, it applies to all nonimmigrant visa holders which include students, tourists, temporary workers, and business visitors particularly from African countries. V.6132
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6127
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1. Right to Legal Representation•You have the right to consult with a legal representative.•Contact an immigration practitioner, legal aid clinic, or attorney urgently.•Do not sign any documents without understanding them fully. 2. Section 34 of the Immigration Act•You must be brought to court with 48 hours to confirm arrest but you can remain locked up very long as courts figure out what to do with you •If you`re found to be illegally in South Africa, you may be detained for up to 30 days (extendable by a magistrate) pending deportation.•BUT this cannot happen arbitrarily. You must be informed of your rights, and Home Affairs must follow due process.- becomes a nightmare , you could lose your job , business , place to stay V.6121
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Driving for Bolt, Uber, Mr D, or Checkers Sixty60?If you`re undocumented, you`re risking more than just your income.The Risks if You`re Not Legal: - Vehicle impoundment - Heavy fines - Arrest & deportation - Permanent bans from working in SA V.6122
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