If you’re planning a trip but don’t want the hassle of organising a visa, then you’ve come to the right place.

South Africans can now visit 99 countries visa-free, or visa-on-arrival, according to the latest Henley Passport Index.

This is still a positive number if we consider the latest ranking of passport power and global mobility, based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

BusinessTech reports that overall, African states continue to fare poorly, although more countries on the continent are starting to relax their visa policies.

South Africa dropped to 54th place on the ranking (down from 51st) after Djibouti changed its policy from visa-on-arrival to an e-visa system.

The Seychelles continues to occupy first place in the Sub-Saharan region, moving up to 27th place globally, with a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 150.

Mauritius remains in regional 2nd place, with a score of 145, and South Africa retains its 3rd place regionally. At the other end of the mobility spectrum in Africa, Somalia sits in last place, with citizens able to access just 31 destinations without a prior visa.

Singapore and Japan share the top spot with a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 189, while the U.S. and the U.K. now share the sixth place – the lowest spot either country has held since 2010.

“With a few significant exceptions, the latest rankings from the index show that countries around the world increasingly view visa-openness as critical to economic growth and mutual trust,” said Amanda Smit, managing partner at Henley & Partners South Africa.

Here are the 99 countries that South African passport wielding citizens can access visa-free:

Happy travels.

[source:businesstech]