Zambia, Ghana move toward visa-free travel to boost trade and investment
Zambia and Ghana are set to agree on a visa waiver arrangement as the two countries intensify efforts to strengthen business, trade, and broader economic cooperation, coinciding with the State Visit of Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama to Lusaka.
The visa-free travel agreement is expected to remove longstanding movement barriers between the two countries and serve as a practical foundation for increased commercial engagement, investment flows, and private-sector partnerships.
The development comes as President Mahama arrived in Zambia yesterday, February 4, 2026, at the invitation of President Hakainde Hichilema, for a three-day State Visit focused on economic cooperation and regional integration.
Ahead of the visit, Ghana’s Foreign Minister disclosed that the visa waiver was a direct presidential directive and a central condition attached to the trip.
The Minister stated that President Mahama instructed officials to ensure the agreement was concluded before travelling to Lusaka, stressing the importance of free movement in advancing trade, investment, and people-to-people interaction between the two countries.
According to the Minister, technical discussions initially encountered challenges linked to differences in passport classifications. Ghana operates diplomatic, service, and ordinary passports, while Zambia recognises diplomatic and ordinary passports. Zambian officials initially raised concerns over alignment, but Ghana’s delegation maintained that the matter had received clear presidential direction.
The Minister explained that negotiations continued under high-level guidance, extending late into the night on the eve of the visit. At approximately 11.30 p.m., the Zambian side sought final presidential approval, which was granted, allowing the visa waiver agreement to be finalised.
With the agreement secured, Ghana has reached its fifteenth visa waiver arrangement since President Mahama was sworn into office. The Minister described the deal as a significant step toward easing travel for business operators, officials, and citizens, while reinforcing economic cooperation between the two countries.
President Mahama arrived in Lusaka accompanied by his wife, Lordina Mahama, and a senior government delegation. He was received at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport by Ghana’s High Commissioner to Zambia, Madam Elizabeth Nyantakyi. He arrived aboard a special aircraft following his participation in the 2026 Global Governance Summit in Dubai.
During the visit, the two Heads of State are scheduled to hold bilateral talks at State House, where discussions are expected to provide strategic direction on priority areas of cooperation. These include agricaulture and food security, energy, mining value addition, waste management, the circular economy, commodities exchange systems, skills development, and emerging technologies such as fintech.
President Mahama is also expected to address Zambia’s National Assembly, providing an opportunity to engage legislators on shared democratic values and economic integration. In addition, he will attend the Zambia–Ghana Business Forum alongside President Hichilema, aimed at promoting trade and investment opportunities within the framework of the African Continental Free Trade Area.
A Ghana–Zambia Business Dialogue, co-chaired by the two Presidents, is also scheduled as part of the visit. The dialogue is intended to showcase Ghana’s digital technologies and fintech solutions to Zambian businesses and government institutions, fostering partnerships and knowledge exchange.
The visit further includes a wreath-laying ceremony at Embassy Park in honour of Zambia’s fallen heroes and an engagement with the Ghanaian community in Lusaka. President Mahama is expected to depart Zambia immediately after completing his official programme.
Zambian authorities have described the visit as a reciprocal engagement following President Hichilema’s State Visit to Ghana in July 2023 and a continuation of outcomes from the Zambia–Ghana Joint Permanent Commission held in Lusaka in October 2025.
