Why SA's Green Mamba passport continues to lose its global bite

JOHANNESBURG — If you're one of the unlucky few (like myself) who don't have a second passport in South Africa, you've probably found yourself banging your head against visa requirements when travelling to places such as Europe. Apart from the costs, the sheer time wasted in obtaining visas for a South African passport remains a painful and excruciating process. A key reason for why us Saffers need all these visas is because of corruption in Home Affairs as well as the generally shoddy security status of our passports. South African passport holders then probably won't find it unsurprising to hear that the Green Mamba has fallen 18 places since 2009 on the globally renowned Henley Passport Index to occupy position 50 in 2018. The Index notes that while the Green Mamba has gained access to new travel destinations since 2009, it's failed to keep pace with increasing its global access levels as quickly as other high-performing countries. It also doesn't have visa-free access to the biggest economies, including the likes of the EU, India and the US. In this interview, Amanda Smit, a Director at Henley & Partners South Africa, explains what the ranking means. - Gareth van Zyl