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40,000km for One Dream: The Trans Africa Campaign Calls for Visa-Free Travel Across the Continent
40,000km. 39 Countries. One Mission: Open Africa’s Borders
Picture this, a convoy of determined travellers crossing deserts, forests and city borders, not for adventure’s sake alone, but to rewrite Africa’s travel future.
That’s exactly what the Trans Africa Tourism and Unity Campaign is doing. Launched from Accra, Ghana, this 40,000km road journey is more than a bold expedition, it’s a full-scale political statement: Africans should be able to travel Africa without visas.
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A Movement on Wheels
Led by Ras Mubarak, a former Ghanaian Member of Parliament, the campaign is rallying governments to adopt visa-free travel across the continent, much like the European Schengen model.
So far, the eight-member team has already clocked nearly 10,000km, travelling through:
🇹🇬 Togo | 🇧🇯 Benin | 🇳🇬 Nigeria | 🇨🇲 Cameroon | 🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea | 🇬🇦 Gabon | 🇨🇬 Republic of Congo | 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of Congo | 🇦🇴 Angola
Their full journey will span 39 countries in 163 days, wrapping up in January 2026 and this week, they reached Cape Town.
“This Is Not Just Symbolic, It’s Policy Activism”
Mubarak is not mincing his words:
“The Trans Africa Tourism and Unity Campaign is a call to action for African leaders to prioritise the free movement of people, goods and services.”
He argues that visa restrictions aren’t just inconvenient, they’re holding Africa back. Tourism numbers stay low, intra-African trade remains dismal (currently under 20%), and travel within the continent is often more complicated than travelling to Europe.
Growing Government Support, But Will It Be Enough?
The campaign has already secured endorsements from governments in Angola, the DRC, Republic of Congo, Gabon, Benin and Equatorial Guinea.
At every stop, the team meets with officials, tourism bodies, and local communities. Their discussions go beyond visas, diving into eco-tourism, responsible cross-border travel, and conservation.
Still, security, infrastructure and border corruption remain real barriers.
What’s the Public Saying?
On African social media, support is loud and sometimes cheeky:
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“We can travel to Europe visa-free before we can visit our neighbours make it make sense.”
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“Just give this man Ras Mubarak AU presidency already.”
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“A visa-free Africa would do more for unity than a hundred political summits.”
Why This Matters, Especially for South Africa
South Africa is often criticised for restrictive visa policies, even toward fellow African countries. Tourism operators have long argued that opening borders could attract millions more visitors, boost jobs, and strengthen regional cohesion.
Now, this road trip-turned-revolution is forcing leaders to pick a side: Fortress Africa or Borderless Africa?
A Borderless Future?
As the convoy pushes deeper into Southern Africa, one message is becoming harder for policymakers to ignore:
Africa doesn’t just need roads and flights, it needs freedom of movement.
If Ras Mubarak and his team succeed, this could be the beginning of a travel revolution long overdue.
{Source: IOL}
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