While South Africans generally require visas, there are about 103 countries that you can travel to on your South African passport which do not require a visa, or where you can get a visa on entry. These include:
Africa – you can generally travel into most African countries including Namibia, Lesotho, eSwatini, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Kenya, Mauritius, the Comoros and Seychelles. Countries such as Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia, however, require visas.
Asia – popular countries that you can travel to visa-free include Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Maldives, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
Europe – only really Ireland and Russia.
Oceania – popular countries include the Cook Islands, Fiji and Samoa.
Caribbean – most countries including the Bahamas, Cayman Islands and Jamaica.
Americas – most countries including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Panama, Paraguay and Peru.
Middle East – popular countries such as Israel, Jordan, Oman, Georgia and Qatar.
Covid restrictions and countries that South Africans can currently travel to:
While many countries are still restricting travel, more countries are opening their borders to South Africans including the UK which has removed South Africa from their “red list”.
Other countries whose borders are also open to South African travellers according to Getaway Magazine include Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Egypt, Mauritius and Zanzibar in Africa as well as Maldives and the UAE in the Middle East. Other European countries include the Netherlands, Germany, France, Austria, Montenegro, Switzerland, Spain, Czech Republic, Belgium and Ireland. In the Americas, you can travel to Mexico, Costa Rica, Canada, United States and Chile.
Each country has its own unique requirements regarding Covid vaccinations and regulations. South Africans returning home will need to present a negative Covid test result and will be screened for symptoms. Those who do not display symptoms will not have to quarantine.
Author: Gina Meintjes, 22 October 2021, International