A new multi-country visa, akin to Europe’s Schengen Visa, will soon facilitate entry into several Southern African nations.
In late May, five countries in the region agreed to expand the use of a special common visa, aiming to simplify tourist movement and increase tourism arrivals.
Officials from Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe—members of the Kavango-Zambezi (KAZA) Transfrontier Conservation Area have pledged to broaden the use of the univisa.
This special visa, currently utilised in Zambia and Zimbabwe for day trips to Botswana through Kazungula, will now be extended.
“We must simply say that this will happen,” stated Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema during a KAZA summit in Livingstone, Zambia.
“I am grateful that my colleagues have reached consensus on the univisa.” Botswana’s Vice President, Slumber Tsogwane, also confirmed his country’s full adoption of the univisa.
In addition to expanding the visa program, KAZA member states are advocating for the lifting of the 1989 ban on elephant and ivory trading imposed by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
This ban was originally implemented to address the significant decline in elephant populations.
The KAZA countries argue that lifting these restrictions would allow them to sell ivory stocks valued at approximately $1 billion, with the proceeds directed towards conservation efforts.
The KAZA region encompasses several national parks and conservation areas, including Chizarira National Park, Chobe National Park, Hwange National Park, Kafue National Park, Moremi Game Reserve, and Sioma Ngwezi National Park.
Visitors can also explore attractions like Ngonye Falls and Lake Kariba, and enjoy various opportunities for adventure, camping, and wildlife safaris.
The KAZA univisa operates similarly to Europe’s Schengen Visa, permitting entry into multiple Southern African countries.
The Schengen Area, which spans 29 nations, has eliminated internal borders to enable free movement.
Covering 4,718,084 km² and housing over 448 million people, it includes most EU countries, except Ireland and Cyprus, along with non-EU members such as Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein.
At present, the KAZA univisa is available at designated entry points in Zambia and Zimbabwe. Priced at $50, it allows tourists to visit both countries multiple times with a single visa, valid for up to 30 days within any 12-month period, as long as the traveler stays within Zambia and Zimbabwe. It also permits day trips to Botswana through the Kazungula Borders.
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