Staff Writer 
By Kudzanai Gerede
Companies and Markets Editor
ZIMBABWE moved one position down to 77th in the 2025 rankings of the world’s most powerful passports published by Henley & Partners, a British consultancy specialising in citizenship and residence from 76th last year.
Zimbabwe is tied with Mozambique on both the global and African rankings where they took 18th position on the continent.
The “Henley Passport Index” evaluates 199 passports globally based on the number of destinations their holders can access without requiring a prior visa.
The report shows that the Zimbabwean passport allows visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 65 destinations, behind by a wide margin to Seychelles’ passport ― the most powerful in Africa ― which allows visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 156 destinations.
The ranking also considers cases where passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival, a visitor’s permit, or an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) upon entry.
The data used for the index includes information from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which represents more than 250 airlines worldwide.
Zimbabwean authorities have previously signalled plans to lift visa requirements, mainly on regional travellers as it seeks to open its borders to increased intra-African trade and tourism.
This comes as several African countries such as Kenya, Benin, Ghana and Rwanda have made widespread visa requirement scraps to foreign travellers.
Zimbabwe reintroduced its electronic visa (eVisa) programme in September 2024. This programme allows eligible travellers to apply for an eVisa online before travelling to Zimbabwe.
Mauritius, ranked 29th in the world, has Africa’s second powerful passport that allows access to 151 destinations. With access to 106 destinations, South Africa is now ranked third in Africa and has risen five spots to 48th in the world.
The rest of Africa’s top 10 includes Botswana (57th, 88 destinations), Namibia (62nd, 81 destinations), Lesotho (64th, 79 destinations), Eswatini (65th, 77 destinations), Malawi (67th, 75 destinations), Kenya (68th, 74 destinations), and Morocco (69th, 73 destinations).
Three African countries are in the global top 50, up from two in 2024, thanks to South Africa’s strong progress.
Globally, the Singaporean passport ranks first, offering visa-free access to 195 destinations. It is followed by Japan, Finland, France, and Germany.
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