South Africa Excludes Nigeria from 2026 Visa-Free List Amid Deportations and Anti-Migrant Protests
Tinubu-Ramaphosa
By Reporter
South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs has released its official visa exemption list for 2026, confirming that citizens of 22 African countries can enter the country without obtaining a visa in advance.
The updated list, published by the department and implemented through South Africa’s immigration framework, grants visa-free entry for stays ranging from 30 to 90 days, depending on the traveller’s nationality and passport category.
Notably, Nigeria is once again absent from the list, meaning Nigerian citizens will continue to require visas before travelling to South Africa.
The exclusion comes at a sensitive time in relations between both countries, as concerns continue to grow over the treatment of foreign nationals in South Africa. Civil society groups and anti-immigration protesters have repeatedly organised marches demanding the removal of undocumented migrants, with Nigerians frequently cited among those affected. These demonstrations have coincided with periodic immigration enforcement operations that have led to the detention and deportation of undocumented foreign nationals, including some Nigerians.
While South African authorities maintain that deportations target individuals found to be in the country illegally regardless of nationality, Nigerian officials have in the past expressed concern over the welfare of Nigerian citizens during such operations and have called for adherence to due process and the protection of migrants’ rights.
The visa exemption document covers several passport categories, including diplomatic, official, service, ordinary and special passports, with different entry conditions applying in some cases.
African Countries Eligible for Visa-Free Entry to South Africa in 2026
According to the official list, the following African countries qualify for visa-free access:
Algeria – 30 days
Benin – 30 days or less
Botswana – 90 days or less
Cabo Verde (Cape Verde) – 30 days or less
Comoros – 90 days
Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) – 30 days
Gabon – 30 days or less
Guinea – 90 days
Kenya – 30 days
Lesotho – 30 days or less
Madagascar – 30 days
Malawi – 30 days or less
Mauritius – 30 days or less
Mozambique – 90 days
Namibia – 30 days or less
Rwanda – 30 days
Seychelles – 30 days or less
Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) – 30 days or less
Tanzania – 90 days for ordinary passport holders; 30 days for diplomatic and service passport holders
Tunisia – 90 days
Zambia – 30 days or less
Zimbabwe – 90 days or less
The visa-free arrangement is intended to facilitate travel and strengthen regional cooperation with participating countries. However, Nigeria’s continued exclusion highlights that Africa’s largest economy remains outside South Africa’s visa waiver programme, despite longstanding diplomatic and economic ties between the two nations.
Analysts say the development is likely to renew discussions about reciprocal travel arrangements, migration policies, and the broader management of bilateral relations between Abuja and Pretoria, particularly as debates over immigration and the treatment of foreign nationals remain politically sensitive within South Africa.
