August 22, 2025

Former Ghanaian MP and dedicated Pan-Africanist Ras Mubarak is leading a group of activists on an ambitious campaign to mobilize support for a visa-free and united Africa.

The Trans African Tourism and Unity Campaign, a 163-day, 40,000-kilometer road trip spanning 39 African countries, advocates for the elimination of visa restrictions for African citizens travelling within the continent.

Launched on 18 August from Black Star Square in Accra, Ghana, the journey symbolizes a bold step towards realizing the African Union’s Agenda 2063 vision of a united, prosperous and integrated continent.

Representing the Government of Ghana, Chief of Staff to President John Mahama, Julius Debrah, addresses the launch of the Trans African Tourism and Unity Campaign on 18 August. In his speech, Mr Debra said “Visa barriers fragment our shared African identity. The government of Ghana envisions a continent where Africans travel freely, boosting trade, tourism, and unity.”/Photo: Ras Mubarak/Facebook

The campaign’s itinerary began in Accra and will take the team through Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Republic of Congo (Brazzaville), Democratic Republic of Congo (Kinshasa), Angola, Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Central African Republic, Chad, Niger, Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, and Burkina Faso, before concluding back in Ghana in October 2025.

Along the way, the campaigners are engaging with African heads of state, political leaders, civil society, youth groups and media to deliver letters urging the adoption of visa-free policies, host cultural showcases and promote tourism as a catalyst for unity and economic growth.

The campaign, endorsed by the Government of Ghana through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is supported by a coalition of partners, including Afrimex Gold, National Investment Bank, Ghana Gold Board, GLICO Insurance, GNPC, Telecel Ghana, and Radisson Blu Brazzaville, among others.

Ras Mubarak speaks to journalists at the Python Temple, also known as the Temple of Pythons, in Ouidah, southern Benin, on 20 August. The campaigners advocate that visa-free travel would promote intra-African tourism, enhance trade and strengthen people-to-people connections. Their mission aligns with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and supports the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) framework, which aims to create a single African market/Photo: Ras Mubarak/Facebook

The team, comprising seven campaign crew members and four Ghana Television personnel, is documenting their journey through regular social media updates, sharing their message with millions via hashtags #OpenAfrica and #OpenOpportunities.

Ras Mubarak, a vocal advocate for African unity, emphasizes that a visa-free Africa by 2030 is not just a dream but a necessity to unlock the continent’s potential in tourism, trade and cultural exchange. “History will honour leaders who act decisively to unite Africa,” Mubarak stated at the campaign’s launch. “Africa’s strength lies in its unity. The colonial borders that divide us must never divide our aspirations.”

Some of the activists pictured with a Nigerian supporter Kofi Adebayo (middle) in Ogbomosho, Nigeria, on 22 August. Ras Mubarak is second from the left/ Photo: Ras Mubarak/Facebook

The campaign aligns with the African Union’s Agenda 2063, which envisions greater political and economic integration across the continent. However, Mubarak argues that the AU’s 2063 timeline is too distant, insisting that a borderless Africa is achievable within five years. “Young graduates in Nairobi or Accra can’t wait forty years for opportunity,” he told journalists in Accra. “Other regions have done it, and we can too.”

The campaign also advocates for a single African currency to further strengthen economic prospects, highlighting the continent’s combined population of 1.4 billion and GDP of $3.4 trillion as untapped potential for growth.

Visa-free travel is seen as vital for boosting intra-African tourism, which contributes over US$190 billion annually to the continent’s GDP. Chief of Staff to the President of Ghana, Julius Debrah, speaking at the campaign’s launch, noted that removing visa barriers could double intra-African tourism, creating jobs and boosting local economies.

As of August 2025, only six African countries — Rwanda, Seychelles, The Gambia, Benin, Ghana and Kenya — offer visa-free travel to all Africans, with Kenya’s policy eliminating visa requirements for all African nations except Libya and Somalia due to security concerns. Ghana joined this group in January 2025, becoming the sixth country to implement such a policy.

The campaign’s challenges are significant, with visa fees for the 12-member team totalling $11,520 — a stark reminder of the barriers to free movement in Africa.

By engaging communities and tour operators, the campaign aims to build grassroots momentum for policy change, positioning Africa as a vibrant, unified tourism destination.

Follow the Trans African Tourism and Unity Campaign’s journey through their social media updates and join the movement for a borderless Africa at #OpenAfrica #OpenOpportunities. For more information, contact Kwasi Agyapong at +233 244 350 462 or via email at transafricantourism@gmail.com.

Femi Awoniyi