BTA2023 Zambia and Ghana are on the brink of sealing a visa waiver agreement, a move expected to significantly ease travel between the two countries and unlock new opportunities for trade, investment, and private-sector collaboration.
The development coincides with the three-day State Visit of Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama to Lusaka, which began on February 4, 2026, at the invitation of Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema. The visit is centred on deepening economic cooperation and advancing regional integration.
According to Ghana’s Foreign Minister, the visa-free travel arrangement was issued as a direct presidential instruction and made a core condition of President Mahama’s visit. The agreement aims to dismantle long-standing mobility barriers that have constrained business activity and people-to-people engagement between the two nations.
Late-Night Negotiations Clear Final Hurdles
The Foreign Minister disclosed that negotiations initially faced technical challenges due to differences in passport classifications. Ghana issues diplomatic, service, and ordinary passports, while Zambia formally recognises only diplomatic and ordinary passports. Zambian officials raised concerns over aligning the frameworks, but Ghana’s delegation maintained that the issue had already received clear presidential backing.
Talks continued under high-level direction and reportedly extended late into the night ahead of the visit. At around 11:30 p.m., Zambian negotiators sought final approval from their leadership, which was granted, paving the way for the agreement to be concluded.
Once finalised, the deal will mark Ghana’s fifteenth visa waiver arrangement since President Mahama was sworn into office. Officials describe it as a major step toward facilitating travel for business operators, government officials, and citizens, while reinforcing broader economic ties.
Focus on Trade, Technology, and Regional Integration
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, after travelling on a special aircraft from Dubai, where he attended the 2026 Global Governance Summit.
During the visit, the two Presidents are scheduled to hold bilateral talks at State House, expected to set strategic direction for cooperation in key sectors. These include agriculture 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, engage with the Ghanaian community in Lusaka, and participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at Embassy Park in honour of Zambia’s fallen heroes.
Business Forum and AfCFTA Opportunities
A major highlight of the visit will be the Zambia–Ghana Business Forum, where Presidents Mahama and Hichilema will engage business leaders to promote trade and investment within the framework of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
In addition, a Ghana–Zambia Business Dialogue, co-chaired by the two leaders, will showcase Ghana’s digital solutions and fintech innovations to Zambian businesses and public institutions, with the goal of fostering partnerships and knowledge exchange.
Zambian authorities have described the State Visit as a reciprocal engagement following President Hichilema’s visit to Ghana in July 2023, and as a continuation of outcomes from the Zambia–Ghana Joint Permanent Commission held in Lusaka in October 2025.
