Kenya, South Africa to begin mutual visa-free system in January

The brand new settlement was introduced throughout the first official journey of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to Kenya.

Kenya's President William Ruto and his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa stroll to a joint information convention after holding bilateral talks at State Home in Nairobi, Kenya, on November 9, 2022 [Monicah Mwangi/Reuters]

The presidents of South Africa and Kenya say they've resolved a longstanding visa dispute and Kenyans will have the ability to go to South Africa visa-free for as much as 90 days in a calendar 12 months.

South Africans already get free visas on arrival in Kenya, whereas Kenyans have been charged and required to supply proof of ample funds and return flight tickets.

The brand new settlement, which is ready to take impact on January 1, was introduced throughout the first official journey of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to Kenya on Wednesday.

In the meantime, he and his Kenyan counterpart William Ruto additionally directed their commerce ministers to handle boundaries that restrict commerce between the 2 international locations, that are among the many strongest economies in Africa.

The duo additionally praised the Ethiopia peace settlement signed final week in South Africa and brokered by the African Union.

They appealed to the events to “guarantee full implementation of the settlement to achieve an enduring political settlement”.

Representatives of the Ethiopian federal authorities and regional authorities in Tigray are assembly in Nairobi this week to hash out particulars of the settlement brokered by AU mediators led by former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo. Ruto’s predecessor Uhuru Kenyatta was among the many mediators.