SA back in the top 50 global passport rankings

Ambitious plans to further digitise and secure South Africa’s passport system, positioning it as a stronger document on the global stage, have been outlined by the Department of Home Affairs (DHA).

This follows South Africa’s improved ranking in the Henley & Partners Passport Index, where it climbed to 48th position (from 53^rd at the beginning of 2024) to achieve its highest ranking in over a decade while featuring in the top 50 the first time since 2014.

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The index evaluates 199 passports against 227 destinations, using data from the International Air Transport Authority (IATA) and supplementary research.

South Africa’s noteworthy rise comes despite the country losing visa-free access to Ireland, reflecting a relative improvement compared to other nations.

Digital transformation

Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber credits SA’s rise in the rankings to ongoing reforms within the DHA, centred on the digital transformation of its processes.

Read/listen: Do you know how strong your passport is?

“By fully digitalising and closing off to fraud and manipulation the process to obtain enabling documents – including passports – we will significantly enhance the integrity of our documents,” he says.

The department’s plans include the introduction of biometric e-passports, equipped with embedded microprocessor chips to authenticate travellers’ biometric data.

This move aligns with global trends towards digitising visa and passport processes, which the minister said would further strengthen the South African passport’s standing over time.

Expanding passport services

To complement the digital transformation, the DHA is expanding its physical footprint for passport services through partnerships with South African banks.

Currently, 30 bank branches – including those of Absa, FNB, Nedbank, Investec, Discovery Bank and Standard Bank – offer DHA services for passports and Smart IDs.

Plans are underway to more than double this to 64 branches, with significant contributions from major banks:

• FNB: Adding 18 new eHome Affairs branches.
• Absa: Activating 12 additional branches.
• Discovery Bank: Introducing four new locations in Sea Point, Century City, Pretoria, and Umhlanga.

Mark Brits, head of prudential at the Banking Association of South Africa (Basa), confirms that agreements for these expansions are nearly finalised.

These enhancements, combined with mobile units for remote areas and satellite branches in urban malls, aim to improve accessibility and efficiency for citizens seeking passports and other essential documents.

A path toward greater global mobility

Schreiber emphasises that the DHA’s reforms are not just about improving document security but also about enhancing South Africans’ global mobility.

“Our plans to introduce an e-passport and to digitally secure both document and passport processes for South Africans, as well as visa processes for foreigners, will combine to meaningfully increase the power of our passport over the coming years,” he says.

Read: Home Affairs almost there in clearing visa backlog …

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