If you’ve travelled to any of the countries not featured on the list of places that your South African passport gets you into visa-free, then you’re familiar with the stress of a visa application.

It might be why more than a few South Africans have been tempted to swipe right on a Tinder prospect because of their ‘passport power’.

Passport power is a real thing, and it’s determined by how many countries around the world a passport grants one access to, visa-free. Home Affairs in South Africa has been doing their best to open up our borders in the hope that by allowing certain countries to travel here visa-free, we will, in turn, be able to visit those same countries visa-free, thus strengthening the Green Mamba.

I’m assuming they’re playing a long game here because according to the recent Henley & Partners’ Henley Passport Index, we’ve actually dropped in the rankings.

Per HeraldLIVE:

The South African passport has slipped from 53rd place to 56th in a year — and by 21 places since its best ranking in 2007/2008 — in the latest Henley Passport Index.

…The ranking puts SA alongside Belize‚ just ahead of Kuwait and East Timor.

Internationally‚ the UK and US are less open than before while Asia’s passport power dominates.

Yep, according to NewsAU, Japan has retained the top spot with visa-free access to a whopping 191 destinations. Singapore comes in second with 190 destinations, and South Korea is tied with Germany for third place with 189 destinations.

The top 10 best passports in the world below:

1. Japan (191 destinations)

2. Singapore (190)

3. South Korea, Germany (189)

4. Italy, Finland (188)

5. Spain, Luxembourg, Denmark (187)

6. Sweden, France (186)

7. Switzerland, Portugal, Netherlands, Ireland, Austria (185)

8. United States, United Kingdom, Norway, Greece, Belgium (184)

9. New Zealand, Malta, Czech Republic, Canada, Australia (183)

10. Slovakia, Lithuania, Hungary (181)

On the flip side, if you hold one of the following ‘worst passports in the world’, you’re not going to be travelling far without running into some visa complications:

100. North Korea, Sudan (39 destinations)

101. Nepal, Palestinian Territory (38)

102. Libya (37)

103. Yemen (33)

104. Somalia, Pakistan (32)

105. Syria (29)

106. Iraq (28)

107. Afghanistan (26)

At least the Green Mamba didn’t make that list.

At 100 countries, accessible visa-free, maybe we’re not doing too badly.

[sources:heraldlive&newsau]