SUCCESS STORIES Zambia | Story 2 – 2020 One region Stimulating tourism with a UniVisa 16 nations “The KAZA UniVisa has helped to build good relations and Towards a communication between SADC countries, and tourists are responding well to it. Most of our visitors are excited about common future the programme. And our visitors’ happiness is our happiness,” explains Cynthia Kabinga Ntentabunga, a worker at Harry From the beginning of time, the principles of Ubuntu have guided Mwanga Nkumbula International Airport. African societies. Best described as an African philosophy rooted in a deep The Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area Univisa (KAZA UniVisa) awareness of: “I am because of who we is a brainchild of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) that was all are”; the spirit of Ubuntu resonates adopted in 1998 together with the SADC Protocol on the Development of Tourism. in every fibre of SADCs existence – Charity Chewe, a tour operator from Winning Travel, said that the UniVisa has th past and present. The 40 anniversary been very helpful, especially with regards freeing up tourists to move more freely of SADC in 2020 commemorates a as they are now able to pay once to visit Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana – the journey of progress on the complex three countries currently on board. road to achieving peace and security, development and economic growth. Alexander Jones, a European tourist, said: “Getting a KAZA UniVisa saved me a This “SADC Success Stories 2020” lot of hassle, for it gave me an opportunity to visit Zambia and Zimbabwe… and series shines a spotlight on the positive to visit Botswana, which I had never planned.” Mandy Williams Cwambran, also a impacts achieved through regional European tourist, said that: integration in communities and in the lives of the people of the SADC region. KAZA UniVisa is contributing positively towards tourism performance at Victoria Falls, and that it’s one of the This story ‘Stimulating tourism with a UniVisa’ is based on the SADC Protocol safest systems which saves money. on the Development of Tourism, A specific objective of the Protocol on the Development of Tourism is to facilitate adopted in 1998. intra-regional travel and develop tourism by easing or removing travel and visa THE PLANNED PHASES FOR REACHING FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE KAZA UNIVISA Comores, DRC, Lesotho, Angola Madagascar, Malawi, Botswana Mauritius, Seychelles, Namibia Tanzania STAGE 1 STAGE 3 KAZA piloting Piloting SADC countries countries STAGE 2 STAGE 4 All five KAZA All 16 SADC countries countries Zambia Mozambique, South Zimbabwe Africa, Eswatini restrictions, and by harmonising immigration procedures. impact on economic resurgence. Effective visa facilitation, Further, the protocol provides for easing tourist movement which increases visitor presence and earnings in the hospitality by means of a tourism univisa that will facilitate the movement sector, is key to unlocking growth in any region. Based on of international tourists in the region in order to increase the the lessons learnt during the pilot phase, great strides were region’s share of world tourism, and revenue. The provisions made to perfect the system during the full implementation of the protocol empower SADC member states to actualise a phase, including capacity building for immigration officers; common tourist visa. the procurement of marketing materials; and integration and interfacing of the UniVisa system, which effectively The specific objectives on tourism development and makes Zambia and Zimbabwe’s Main Immigration Border visa facilitation are to provide opportunities, facilities Management systems and KAZA UniVisa operate as one and infrastructure that will transform the region into a system, and enables information sharing between them. The premier tourist destination; and to facilitate tourism across new system also makes it possible to apply, purchase and international borders in the region. The adoption of the issue the visa online. protocol demonstrates commitment to the growth of the tourism and hospitality sector in the region, and sets At a meeting held in 2018 in Katima Mulilo, Namibia, employment and wealth creation as a priority. Senior Officials noted that the successful completion of the KAZA UniVisa integration process, addressed all the The successful visa-free regime that existed during the challenges experienced during the pilot and initial phases of hosting of the 20th General Assembly of the World Tourism full implementation. These officials resolved that a delegation Organisation in 2013, between the towns of Livingstone from Zambia and Zimbabwe would embark on KAZA UniVisa and Victoria Falls, heightened the need for a univisa. At this roadshows to Angola, Botswana and Namibia, for purposes of meeting, the presidents of the host countries, Zambia and providing best practices in the implementation of the KAZA Zimbabwe, directed that the success story of this visa-free UniVisa. This process started in August 2019 with Namibia regime should serve as a standard for operationalising the and Botswana who have since started consulting internally for vision of the SADC UniVisa. the purpose of implementing the KAZA UniVisa system. Following this, the KAZA UniVisa Pilot Project was launched It is hoped that these member states joining in implementing on 28 November 2014 and ran for a year before going under the KAZA UniVisa will lay a base for the establishment of a review for another year. During the pilot phase, around common tourist visa in the remaining SADC member states. 150 000 KAZA UniVisas were issued. The UniVisa system ran More so, it is envisaged that an influx of tourists to the SADC alongside the main Immigration Border Management systems region will provide a market for tourism products from all of both Zambia and Zimbabwe. stakeholders including communities, and the private and The UniVisa system was found to have many benefits, public sectors, thereby not leaving anyone behind in the including easier movement for tourists; increased tourist development of tourism in southern Africa. arrivals and earnings, which helps to promote rapid economic Currently, the KAZA UniVisa costs USD50 and allows growth and development; enhanced regional integration; tourists to obtain one visa to visit Zambia and Zimbabwe economic diversification; increased employment; and reduced multiple times. The visa is valid for up to 30 days as long as the poverty. holder remains within the two countries. It also covers those In 2016, Zambia and Zimbabwe agreed to fully implement who visit Botswana for a day-trip through Kazungula borders. the KAZA UniVisa and roll out the programme to Angola, The KAZA UniVisa is being issued by Zambia and Zimbabwe at Botswana and Namibia. This move, among other tourism eight borders, including the Kenneth Kaunda, Harry Mwanga development initiatives, marked the beginning of the Nkumbula, Harare and Victoria Falls international airports, establishment of a common tourist visa, which has a direct and the Kazungula and Victoria Falls borders. Co-funded by the European Union This publication was produced with the financial support of the European Union (EU) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)..