Nelson Mandela on cover from South Africa

Nelson Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, political leader, and philanthropist who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was the country's first black head of state and the first elected in a fully representative democratic election. His government focused on dismantling the legacy of apartheid by tackling institutionalised racism and fostering racial reconciliation. Ideologically an African nationalist and socialist, he served as President of the African National Congress party from 1991 to 1997.

Mandela was born in 1918, and many countries issued stamps to mark centenary of his birth last year.
Minisheet on the right was one of many issued to celebrate that event, but this one is joint issue with Germany, released on 18.7.2018. Other stamps on cover:

The 300th Anniversary of Stellenbosch (Oldest Town in South Africa), issued on 8.11.1979.
Moore's Crinum, issued on 1.7.2013.
Eland (from set Tugboats), issued on 13.5.1994.
The 100th Anniversary of the Battle of Amajuba, issued on 27.2.1981.

Inside cover was 3 minisheets with Mandela: already mentioned joint issue with Germany, joint issue with Pan African Postal Union (also released on 18.7.2018.) and The 90th Anniversary of the Birth of Nelson Mandela, issued on 15.7.2008.


Thank you Willy!

Cover from South Africa and various African stamps

I received another fine cover from South Africa, with mint stamps from South African  Bantustans Venda and Transkei, and my first stamps from Rhodesia (today Zimbabwe) and South West Africa (today Namibia)! Stamp on this cover is Merops apiaster, from set Bee-eaters, issued on 18.5.2017.

Venda: Musical Instruments, issued on 13.11.1981.

Transkei:

 The 10th Anniversary of Airline "Transkei Airways", issued on 5.2.1987.

Transkei Beadwork, issued on 22.5.1987.

The 10th Anniversary of Independence issued on 26.10.1986.

Rhodesia: The 75th Anniversary of Powered Flight, issued on 18.10.1978. 

South West Africa: The 75th Anniversary of Aviation in South West Africa, issued on 18.5.1989.

Here is also this date stamps card, with stamp from set The 30th Anniversary of Republic. Scientific and Technological Achievements, issued on 31.5.1991. Card is cancelled on 11.9.1991. in Botshabelo Museum.


Thank you Willy!

Stamp cards and postcards from South Africa

Recently i received some covers from South Africa, and this stamp cards and postcards are one of the received items.

These are 3 different stamp cards dedicate to same stamp. They all have different cancellations.

Stamp used on cards is King protea (Protea cynaroides), issued on 27.05.1977.

This are 3 prepaid postcards, but with different fruit illustrations by Barry E. Jackson.


Thank you Willy!

Bantustan Venda

Venda was a Bantustan in northern South Africa, close to the South African border with Zimbabwe to the north, while to the south and east, it shared a long border with another black homeland, Gazankulu. It is now part of the Limpopo province. Venda was founded as a homeland by the South African government for the Venda people, speakers of the Venda language. The United Nations and international community refused to recognize Venda (or any other Bantustan) as an independent state.

I received this mixed Venda cover from South Africa. You can't use Venda stamps for international mail, but they can be used together with South African stamps.

Stamps on cover:
Venda:
Migratory Birds (complete set), issued on 16.02.1983.
South Africa:
World Environment Day (from set of two), issued on 05.06.1976.
Wildlife - The Big 5 (from set of five), issued on 25.04.2001.

I also received two mint sets of stamps: Sisal Cultivation , issued on 26.02.1982. and History of Writing, issued on 15.06.1982.


Thank you Willy!

Republic of Transkei

Republic of Transkei was a Bantustan—an area set aside for members of a specific ethnicity—and nominal parliamentary democracy in the southeastern region of South Africa. Transkei represented a significant precedent and historic turning point in South Africa's policy of apartheid and "separate development"; it was the first of four territories to be declared independent of South Africa. Throughout its existence, it remained an internationally unrecognised, diplomatically isolated, politically unstable de facto one-party state, which at one point broke relations with South Africa, the only country that acknowledged it as a legal entity. In 1994, it was reintegrated into its larger neighbour and became part of the Eastern Cape province.

I received this mixed Transkei cover from South Africa. You can't use Transkei stamps for international mail, but they can be used together with South African stamps.

Stamps on cover:
Transkei:
Famous People of Medicine (complete set), issued on 05.10.1982.
South Africa:
National Stamp Day - Cape of Good Hope Postal Stones  (from set of five), issued on 09.05.1992.
Wildlife - The Big 5, (from set of five), issued on 25.04.2001.

I also received two mint sets of stamps: Xhosa Women's Headdresses , issued on 28.09.191, and Transkei Post Offices, issued on 11.05.1984.


Thank you very much Willy!

Bantustan Ciskei: Trout Hatcheries

Ciskei was a nominally independent state – a Bantustan – in the south east of South Africa. It covered an area of 7,700 square kilometers, almost entirely surrounded by what was then the Cape Province, and possessed a small coastline along the shore of the Indian Ocean. Under South Africa's policy of apartheid, land was set aside for black peoples in self-governing territories. Ciskei was designated as one of two homelands or "Bantustans" for Xhosa-speaking people.

I received this mixed Ciskei cover from South Africa. You can't use Ciskei stamps for international mail, but they can be used together with South African stamps.

Stamps on cover:
Ciskei:
Trout Hatcheries (complete set), issued on 08.06.1989.
South Africa:
Half-collared Kingfisher (from set Kingfishers of South Africa), issued on 31.08.2016.
Masakhane Campaign, issued on 16.09.1995.

I also received one beautiful mini-sheet inside cover: Halley's Comet, issued on 20.03.1986.



Thank you very much Willy!

Republic of Bophuthatswana

The Republic of Bophuthatswana, was a Bantustan (an area set aside for members of a specific ethnicity) and nominal parliamentary democracy in the northwestern region of South Africa. Bophuthatswana was the first area to be declared an independent state whose territory constituted a scattered patchwork of individual enclaves. In 1994, it was reintegrated into South Africa, and its territory was distributed among the new provinces of the Orange Free State (now Free State), Northern Cape, and North West Province.

I received this mixed Bophuthatswana cover from South Africa. You can't use Bophuthatswana stamps for international mail, but they can be used together with South African stamps.

Stamps on cover:
Bophuthatswana:
Easter (whole set), issued on 01.04.1982.
South Africa:
T.S. McEwen (from set Tugboats), issued on 13.05.1994.
The 50th Anniversaries of United Nations & UNESCO, issued on 24.10.1995.
Visit of Pope John Paul II, issued on 16.09.1995.

I also received a few mint Bophuthatswana stamps inside cover:

The 75th Anniversary of Boy Scout Movement and 125th Anniversary of the Birth of Robert Baden-Powell, 1857-1941, issued on 29.01.1982.
Anti-smoking Campaign, issued on 05.03.1980.


Thank you very much Willy!

Multiview postcard from South Africa

Nice multiview postcard from South Africa. Here you can see Mac Mac Falls, Ndebele woman, Elephant, Blyde Canyon and Cape Town.

South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa, is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded on the south by 2,798 kilometers of coastline of southern Africa stretching along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans, on the north by the neighbouring countries of Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, and on the east by Mozambique and Swaziland, and surrounding the kingdom of Lesotho.

South Africa is a multiethnic society encompassing a wide variety of cultures, languages, and religions. Its pluralistic makeup is reflected in the constitution's recognition of 11 official languages, which is among the highest number of any country in the world. Two of these languages are of European origin: Afrikaans developed from Dutch and serves as the first language of most white and coloured South Africans; English reflects the legacy of British colonialism, and is commonly used in public and commercial life, though it is fourth-ranked as a spoken first language.

Both stamps are Crafts: Married woman's apron, Ndebele, issued on 2010-10-27.


Thank You Toekie!

South Africa: Bottlenose dolphins

Bottlenose dolphins live in groups typically of 10–30 members, called pods, but group size varies from single individuals up to more than 1,000. Their diets consist mainly of forage fish. Dolphins often work as a team to harvest fish schools, but they also hunt individually. Dolphins search for prey primarily using echolocation, which is similar to sonar. They emit clicking sounds and listen for the return echos to determine the location and shape of nearby items, including potential prey. Bottlenose dolphins also use sound for communication, including squeaks and whistles emitted from the blowhole and sounds emitted through body language, such as leaping from the water and slapping their tails on the water surface.

This postcard came with huge awesome stamp!

Centenary of the first South African aerial post flight

Relase date: 07.10.2011.

Thank You very much Joanne!