Recent news that Nigeria will introduce $170 surcharge fees for biometric capture during the Visa process will no doubt frustrate proponents of the “visa-free Africa” concept. The African Union’s longstanding goal may seem out of reach with Africa’s sheer size and pressing security needs, due to wars and terrorism, posing significant challenges.
The perennial challenge for African governments is maintaining or increasing security standards while simplifying travel processes.
Fortunately, today’s technology enables governments to pre-screen all travelers for security risks before they arrive, improving entry processes and facilitating travel. Huge advancements in the border security sector have made these systems more accurate and effective than ever before and the advancements in facial recognition, AI and Advanced Passenger Processing systems are key enablers.
Earlier this year Kenya, one of Africa’s major economies, decided to leverage these technological advancements and proudly became Africa’s largest visa-free nation. Today, Kenya provides hope and a vision for the way forward for the African continent.
Making seamless, secure travel a reality
Traveler data is the undeniable key enabler of this future. Systems, such as API-PNR (Advanced Passenger Information and Passenger Name Record) and Electronic Travel Authorizations (ETA), are revolutionizingd how governments screen visitors ahead of travel.
When real-time information about who plans to travel, when, and for what purpose is made available to border authorities, they are empowered to make informed approval decisions, identify persons of interest before arrival and prevent undesirable individuals from traveling. With the advent of new technologies such as AI and facial biometrics, these systems are increasingly sophisticated and targeted, and able to operate efficiently at scale.
Perhaps more importantly, access to these systems has been democratized with new providers offering innovative commercial models that allow even budget-conscious nations to participate. Travizory Border Security, a BorderTech firm offering next-generation solutions to governments, supported Seychelles’ tourism recovery and bolstered security measures, at no direct cost to the government. Since launching, Seychelles has seen record tourism numbers and reduced arrival processing times by 84%. This unique approach has garnered several more customers across East Africa and leaves Travizory well-positioned to shape the future of visa-free travel across the continent.
Similarly, Kenya’s ETA system has reduced travelers’ application processing times from 5 days to just 20 hours on average and streamlined the entry process.
Defining the Future of Travel in Africa
The time for a visa-free Africa is now and as more African nations embrace modern travel technologies, Travizory has a crucial role in building the infrastructure to enable seamless, visa-free travel across the continent. Our unique value proposition delivers for governments and travelers – helping to manage security risks while promoting ease of movement and seamless border crossings.
Our work with major African economies demonstrates the potential of these solutions to drive the continent toward a future of unrestricted travel and these technologies will not only enhance border security but also boost intra-African tourism and trade. What was once thought to be a distant dream will become reality in the near future, all that remains is for governments to take the first step and embrace the change.
This article was first published in the Nov/December Issue 031 of the VoyagesAfriq Travel Magazine
Read more on Travizory here
