- South African content creator Caleb Kotze posted a video on 13 October 2026 venting about the limitations of the SA passport
- Kotze held up his green passport and joked it would not even get him to his own funeral, striking a nerve with thousands of viewers
- South Africans flooded the comments with their own passport horror stories, dual citizenship brags, and some unexpected perspective
Source: Instagram
A South African content creator's lighthearted rant about his passport struck a chord across the country this week. Caleb Kotze, who goes by @calebkotze_ on Instagram, posted a selfie-style video on 13 October 2026, holding up a green South African passport and letting the frustration fly.
"The worst part about being South African is this bad boy," he said, waving it at the camera. "The green mamba. It's actually mind-blowing how terrible it is. Like, I'm surprised you don't need a visa to go to Cape Town with us."
He was quick to add that his love for South Africa is genuine, but joked that a second passport would be "absolutely game-changing."
What the 'green mamba' gets you
In fairness to the document, it is not entirely without merit. According to the Henley Passport Index, the South African passport currently ranks 52nd globally, offering visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 101 destinations. The Arton Capital Passport Index places the mobility score slightly higher at 108 destinations.
Travellers can move freely through much of Africa, parts of South America, including Brazil and Argentina, and popular destinations like Thailand, Mauritius, and Qatar. Indonesia, which includes Bali, recently shifted to full visa-free access for South African holders.
The pain points are real, though. Entry into the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the entire EU Schengen zone still requires a formal visa application, often involving lengthy waiting periods, steep fees, and piles of paperwork. The passport ranks third on the African continent, sitting behind only Seychelles and Mauritius.
Watch the clip that got everyone talking below:
Mzansi Reacts to the Green Mamba Rant
The comments section on the Instagram page filled up fast, with South Africans sharing their own experiences:
@_jordanmacdonald wrote:
"Laughs in dual citizenship 🇦🇺."
@lateganfj said:
"I only have 3. South African, British and Australian. The Aussie passport is the best."
@kathyoung68 added:
"I've always called it the green mamba - you can go to Russia and we can't 🇬🇧 😂"
@jovibe54 shared:
"I gave mine up for a British 🇬🇧 passport; still love SA, but that is not worth having 🥺"
@michaela_riley_rodrigues_ said:
"The only time I have to prove I'm South African at the airports is when I have to show them that passport, cause they think I'm from another country 😭 😂"
@minkiemekyla offered some perspective:
"I do know, but at least we aren't from Pakistan 🇵🇰😩; they need a visa for every single country in the world 🥹"
@_.ethanzulu._ joked:
"Get a Zimbabwean one, bro... I promise you'll be sorted for life 😂"
More on SA passports and travel
- Briefly News recently reported that the Hawks arrested a suspect in an alleged passport fraud scheme involving fraudulent South African passports reportedly worth R100,000 each.
- South Africa is developing a new e-passport with biometric technology designed to strengthen border security and potentially improve visa-free travel negotiations.
- South Africa’s passport ranking dropped in the latest Henley Passport Index, with citizens facing stricter visa requirements for international travel.
Source: Briefly News
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