Overview

• Rwandan President Paul Kagame announced visa-free travel for all Africans, a move aimed at boosting the free movement of people and trade across Africa.
• Rwanda becomes the fourth African country after the Gambia, Benin, and Seychelles to remove visa restrictions for all Africans, further opening the continent up to free movement.
• President Kagame highlighted the potential of Africa as a 'unified tourism destination', particularly as 60% of tourists still come from outside of Africa.
• The move comes as part of a larger trend towards the relaxed travel restrictions across the continent, with Kenya’s President William Ruto also announcing plans for visa-free travel by the end of the year.
• The African Union has also launched the African Continental Free Trade Area, a free trade area estimated to be worth $3.4 trillion, and the African Passport - initiatives aimed at creating a unified market and removing restrictions on the ability of Africans to travel, work, and live within the continent.