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Much ink has dried over the overexcited writings on "Rising Africa," a new hope and pan-Africanism rediscovered.
The African Single Market and the African Continental Free Trade Area are two of the continent's flagship initiatives that have provided a glimmer of hope. But as history has taught us, African countries have the very bad habit of quickly eliminating all hope.
Many African countries remain skeptical about the liberalization of their borders. The latest report on the visa liberalization index in Africa indicates that there is still a long way to go. Seychelles and Benin are the only African countries that do not require visas to enter their territory.
The report ranks Rwanda as the third most open country on the continent, as it applies an on-arrival visa policy for all countries, not just for Africans. But more than half of African countries require visas, even from African nationals.
It is interesting to note that it is upper-middle-income countries that apply their border policies the most severely. Perhaps they fear that their less fortunate cousins will invade their streets in search of a better life.
But as Rwanda has shown, opening has more benefits than risks. The number of visitors has already soared due to liberal entry policies. It managed to capture a significant share of the continent's MICE market and last year it generated 12.7% of GDP.
Some countries are paranoid and fear the unknown. Opening their borders will require more than just persuasion. They will have to work on their self-confidence. otherwise, the dream of having seamless borders will continue to be a long shot.
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