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Mauritius Secures 2nd Place in Africa with 119 Visa-Free Passport Destinations
According to the latest report by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, Mauritius has secured its position as one of Africa’s leading hubs for continental mobility, boasting the second most powerful passport on the continent.
The report highlights the island nation’s strong performance across air connectivity and open-border policies, revealing that Mauritius currently exempts 27 African nationalities from visa requirements and holds a coveted spot in the top 10 for African aviation.
However, despite these significant achievements in passport strength, visa exemptions, and air travel, the foundation’s findings point to a clear disparity in the country’s transport infrastructure.
While Mauritius features in the upper echelon for its roads and aviation network, the report notes that the nation continues to lag behind when it comes to rail infrastructure.
AFRICAN PASSPORT
The country in 2nd position
On a global scale, Africa remains the region where passport power is the weakest. This power is generally measured by the number of countries accessible without a visa or with a visa delivered on arrival.
In 2026, the most powerful African passport is that of the Seychelles, which allows visa-free access to 127 countries worldwide. Mauritius comes in second place with 119 accessible destinations, followed by South Africa with 75 countries.
Mo Ibrahim Foundation | MAY 2026 ▼
Visa-free access in the world: Top 5 of the African ranking
| Country | Visa-free | Visa on arrival |
|---|---|---|
| Seychelles | 127 | 28 |
| Mauritius | 119 | 26 |
| South Africa | 75 | 26 |
| Botswana | 60 | 21 |
| Namibia | 53 | 23 |
INTRA-AFRICAN ACCESS
27 countries can come to Mauritius without a visa
Free movement policies vary greatly among African countries. Only fifteen African countries allow African citizens from at least twenty African countries to enter without a visa.
Mauritius is also among the relatively open countries, with 27 African nationalities exempted from visas and twenty-one benefiting from a visa on arrival. Conversely, 27 African countries impose restrictions on visas for at least 34 African countries.
Countries favoring free movement without visas for African travelers
| Country | Visa-free | Visa on arrival | Visa required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gambia | 53 | 0 | 0 |
| Rwanda | 53 | 0 | 0 |
| Kenya | 51 | 0 | 2 |
| Benin | 48 | 0 | 5 |
| Ghana | 26 | 25 | 2 |
| Cape Verde | 17 | 36 | 0 |
| Mozambique | 19 | 32 | 2 |
| Mauritius | 27 | 21 | 5 |
Rail networks: The island shows a very low density
Rail network density varies considerably from one African country to another across the continent.
Some display a relatively high density, such as Egypt, Eswatini, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. Conversely, countries like Burundi, Equatorial Guinea, Mauritius, and Rwanda present a very low rail density.
Roads: Mauritius displays a high density
While the rail network of Mauritius presents a low density, with coverage between 0 and 0.2 km per 100 km², for a unit cost of 1,348,000 per km, roads display a high density, varying from 5 to 63 km per 100 km², with a unit cost estimated at 662,771 per km.
| Type of infrastructure | Density | Number of units | Unit cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rail network | Low density | 0 to 0.2 km per 100 km² | 1,348,000 per km |
| Roads | High density | 5 to 63 km per 100 km² | 662,771 per km |
AIR TRANSPORT
Mauritius occupies 9th place
African air transport remains dominated by a few large regional companies. In 2024, Ethiopian Airlines largely occupied the top spot on the continent with 17.5 million passengers transported on scheduled flights. Mauritius arrives in ninth position.
The Top 10 African airlines
- Ethiopian Airlines: 17.5 million passengers
- EgyptAir: 10.5 million passengers
- Air Algérie: 7.9 million passengers
- Royal Air Maroc: 7.4 million passengers
- Air Link (South Africa): 4.1 million passengers
- Kenya Airways: 4 million passengers
- Tunisair: 2.6 million passengers
- Allied Air (Nigeria): 2.6 million passengers
- Air Mauritius: 1.6 million passengers
- Nile Air (Egypt): 1.4 million passengers
1.6 MILLION
Air Mauritius ranks 9th among African airlines with 1.6 million scheduled passengers, of which 300,000 are on the domestic network, 600,000 on the regional network, and 700,000 on intercontinental routes. The latter represent 45% of total traffic.
GOOD TO KNOW
The “Africa on the move: Boosting mobility and connectivity” report offers a comprehensive overview of the current situation and obstacles to overcome.
It addresses “soft” mobility—of people, goods, and services—through Africa and “hard” infrastructure connectivity.
The continent spans over 30 million km², which is more than seven times the surface area of the European Union.
This report also highlights the major commitments already made at the African level—even if they are not yet fully implemented—to meet these challenges.
The report stresses the importance of strengthening mobility and connectivity across the continent.
This is in order to accelerate continental integration and the rapid implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area, as well as to facilitate and encourage regular migration within the continent.
These two aspects are essential to stimulate the mobilization of national resources necessary to effectively exploit Africa’s potential.
Source: Defi Media