Botswana has produced postage stamps for national use since becoming independent on 30 September 1966. The country formerly used the stamps of the Bechuanaland Protectorate. The first independence issue of 1966 included depictions of an abattoir in Lobatse, Botswana National Airways and the State House in Gaborone.                    Source of Information ..read more

Bechuanaland Protectorate The Bechuanaland Protectorate was a protectorate established on 31 March 1885, by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in Southern Africa. It became the Republic of Botswana on 30 September 1966. Source of Information ..read more

Now we all sit and wonder. Will this year be different. Will it be easier, faster, better this year? Will we make it in time? Yes people, Christmas is upon us like a flea on a dog, i guess. So what kind of gifts will we be looking for this year? Bigger, smaller, more affordable, something special? Look no further. A little something for everyone. Giiker - i3 Six-axis Sensor Recognition Magic Cube Toy from Xiaomi youpin - Multi only $29.99 Or, i you feel like letting your inner child loose. JJRC H69 5.8G Image Transmission RC Drone - RTF - Red only $46.99 Maybe you want to show your k ..read more

Yes, i know. It is not time,YET. Or, is it. Time flies and so does those gifts we all drooled about since it was launched. All right then, technology will most probably always be the best Christmas gift. Those eyes that shine like a  220 watt lamp when only a very small piece of the torn wrapping paper reveal a part of the hidden gem inside. Teclast F5R Laptop  Every new invention in technology is faster, have more space, more features and sometimes these designers is nice enough to add a cool feature that will make the product a must have. A added hinge to rotate in 6 versatile modes  ins ..read more

The Postal Department is among the oldest institutions in Mauritius. It was first established during the French colonial period by Pierre Nicolas Lambert, the King's printer, in 1772. Lambert published a weekly newspaper and he guaranteed his subscribers free delivery of inland mail once a week together with his newspaper. He also dispatched overseas mail and he assured free delivery of letters from abroad six to eight hours after the arrival of a ship. Non-subscribers were also able to take advantage of this service for a small fee.  Source of Information ..read more

The Mauritius "Post Office" stamps were issued by the British Colony Mauritius in September 1847, in two denominations: an orange-red one penny (1d) and a deep blue two pence (2d).  Their name comes from the wording on the stamps reading "Post Office", which was soon changed in the next issue to "Post Paid". They are among the rarest postage stamps in the world.They were engraved by Joseph Osmond Barnard, born in England in 1816, who stowed away on a ship to Mauritius in 1838.The designs were based on the then current issue of Great Britain stamps (first released in 1841), bearing the profile ..read more

The first bank to be established in the Cape was the Lombaard Bank. It was a State bank and opened its doors at Cape Town in 1793, with the view to bringing additional money into circulation, and thus assisting those who suffered from lack of currency. This bank was entrusted with the issuing of the Government notes.  It closed in 1883, being forced out of business by the private banks.The first private bank in South Africa was the Cape of Good Hope Bank which opened in 1837.  Source of Information The rand was introduced in the Union of South Africa on 14 February 1961, thre ..read more

In 1867, diamonds were discovered in South Africa, and in 1905, the largest diamond in the world, the Cullinan, was sent to London as a normal recorded postal article. Mail was transported by motor car for the first time in 1911, and SAPO experimented using camels to deliver mail, replacing them with an ox cart service in 1914. In December 1911, the first air mail delivery took place with a 7.5 min flight from Kenilworth in Cape Town to Muizenberg.   Source of Information ..read more

In 1910, each part of South African issued their own stamps. Most South African stamps issued between 1926 and 1951 were in pairs. The first set of the Republic was issued on 31 May 1961. From 1961 to 1966, stamps were inscribed "REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA REPUBLIEK VAN SUID-AFRIKA". However, from 1967 stamps were simply inscribed "RSA".  Modern issues are just inscribed "South Africa.  Source of Information ..read more

Because governments issue stamps of different denominations in unequal numbers and routinely discontinue some lines and introduce others, and because of their illustrations and association with the social and political realities of the time of their issue, they are often prized for their beauty and historical significance by stamp collectors whose study of their history and of mailing systems is called philately.  Source of Information ..read more