One visa, five countries – KAZA TFCA

The vision to implement a uniform visa for five southern African countries, including Namibia, is set to be realised by December 2013, Zambia’s Minister of Tourism and Arts, Sylvia Masebo told the Times of Zambia recently.

The five countries already share a common thread as members of the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area – KAZA TFCA. This transfrontier peace park was launched in 2012 and is one of several peace parks globally which envisions co-management and sustainable conservation, plus empowerment of local communities, within the shared ecological environment, natural environments which transgress man made borders. KAZA, with a surface area 444 000 square kilometres, is potentially one of the world’s largest conservation areas. 

The single visa between the countries, namely Namibia, Angola, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe was one of the talking points at a KAZA meeting held in Angola last week.  Masebo was quoted as saying that by 31 December, it is hoped that “we shall have the common KAZA TFCA visa between the five member countries. This will allow for free movement of people and goods and it will be a milestone for tourism promotion.

Sourced: Nampa - Xinhua, Angola Press Organisation