Links
Here are some links to other websites which provide additional and alternative sources of information on South African stamps, postal history, postcards and related ephemera, as well the general history of South Africa, from the Dawn of Time to the modern Mineral Revolution. Many of these links go to philatelic dealers, magazines and auctions, etc.
AfricaStamps.co.uk – Dealer Website
AfricaStamps-online – eBay Shop
It is appropriate that we start with ‘A’ and SACS’ very own Simon Peetoom, son of our prodigal but legendary philatelist, promoter and editor, Otto Peetoom. As an enthusiastic and knowledgeable dealer, Simon has moved beyond his father’s long shadow, providing high quality Union of South Africa and Republic of South Africa stamps to collectors of all tastes and budgets. As SACS’ UK Treasurer and Event Organiser, he is the man who gets things done and gives us the best part of our Society, the annual SACS meeting.
British Empire Study Group (BESG) – Social Website
Dedicated to the study of the philately and postal history of the British Empire, of which southern Africa was a small part with a big influence, the BESG offers free membership to any philatelist regardless of collecting interests. Prior to COVID, it met in the Collectors Club in New York but now meets online. It has monthly Webinars with interesting speakers, even a virtual Social Hour. It offers recorded videos, expert books for sale, virtual meeting for other groups, technical support and a community of resources.
Cape & Natal Philatelic Journal. (C&NPJ) – Magazine & Website
The joke once ran that “South Africans emigrating to Australia were the new ‘boat people’ – they arrived in Australia and bought a boat”. With its roots in South Africa, the C&NPJ is to some extent a product of the South African diaspora. It is produced by a group of dedicated ex-pat philatelists and historians passionate about the stamps and postal history of the Cape, Natal and Zululand. It is currently the best philatelic publication on the early Cape and Natal by a long way, a position it has held for many years.
Deverell / MacGregor – Dealer Website
UK-based Michael Deverell is a specialist dealer in Rhodesian philately and postal history from 1892 to date, as well as Rhodesiana books. His partner, SA-based Alan MacGregor, a full time professional stamp dealer since 1980, deals primarily in British Africa with the emphasis on southern Africa, especially Bechuanaland, Rhodesia, Nyasaland and all the pre-Union states of South Africa, as well as South Africa itself. He specialises in elusive items such as essays, proofs, colour trials, errors and scarce or rare issues.
The Digital Philatelist – Website
In June 2020 James Gavin aka The Digital Philatelist created The Digital Philatelist to help modern philatelists find information in the vast world of social media. He began promoting the social media world of philately as publicity officer for the Rhodesian Study Circle (2013-2020) where his work was awarded a Gold (London 2022); Vermeil (NZ Philatelic Literature Competition 2019); Gerald Simpson Salver (Rhodesian Study Circle 2018) and Gold (American Philatelic Society Website Competition 2018). His is the future!
East Africa Study Circle – Bulletin & Website
Founded in 1978 to provide information on the philately and postal history of KUT (Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika), including its forerunners, British East Africa (Company and Imperial Administrations), East Africa and Uganda Protectorates, German East Africa, Belgian Occupation , Kenya and Uganda, Kenya Uganda and Tanganyika / Tanzania (KUT) and Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika/Tanzania after independence in the early 1960’s to the present day, the EASC offers a bulletin, an auction and meetings in London.
Flight – Newsletter & Website
Flight, a quarterly newsletter, is the ‘core product’ of the Bird Stamp Society founded in 1986 as an international affiliate of the British Thematic Association. With many of South Africa’s 846 bird species appearing on stamps, Flight includes articles on Southern African birds, photographers, artists and stamp designers. With many senior South African philatelists, postal historian and SACS members once keen watchers and photographers of birds, Flight represents the best of both hobbies.
Forerunners – Magazine & Website
Forerunners is the award-winning official journal of the North American PSGSA (Philatelic Society for Greater Southern Africa). A subscription-based magazine published three times per year, Forerunner sets a high academic editorial standard for southern African philately and postal history. Importantly it is a VERY useful resource that shares its members’ knowledge and experience by granting collectors free downloadable access to all past issues of its magazines prior to about two years ago. Top class!
Orange Free State Study Circle – Website
The OFSSC was founded in 1953 to study the complexities of Orange Free State philately from its formation in 1848 to 1910 when it became a province of the Union of SA. OFS postage stamps and postmarks, rates of postage, stationery, Revenue and Telegraph stamps and the OFS’ defeat in the South African War (ABW) which transformed it into the British Orange River Colony are covered. The website quotes the late Robson Lowe saying “The study of the stamps of the OFS is an excellent exercise for the brain and a complete panacea for the ills of this troubled world.” This is as true now as it ever was!”
Philatelic Federation of South Africa – Magazine & Website
The PFSA is the umbrella body for organised South African philately, a voluntary federation of clubs and societies for stamp collectors and philatelists. It does much to promote our hobby and keep it alive in the face of an aging membership. Of most interest to collectors of South African stamps, postal history and postmarks, etc., is its excellent RESOURCES section where you can view and download back copies of the SA Philatelist magazine and use Alex Vissers’ Addendum to the Postmarks of Ralph Putzel. Vital!
Pretoria Philatelic Society – Meetings
The PPS (Pretoria Philatelic Society) runs under the aegis of the Philatelic Federation of South Africa. As such, it is the most active, busy and expansive philatelic society in southern Africa, if not the world. There will always be a welcoming seat for you at their Zoom Meetings. The PPS was formed in 1898, at the time the fourth one in South Africa and the second in the then ZAR (Transvaal). Of the four, only two are still in existence, the other one being the Port Elizabeth Society formed in the Cape in 1890.
Rhodesian Study Circle – Journal & Website
Formed in 1948, (the same year as SACS), the Rhodesian Study Circle aim was to encourage an interest in Rhodesian stamps and their varieties, flaws and postmarks. As a sign of its success, the RSC is arguably the most successful southern African philatelic society today with over 400 members worldwide. It now includes the postal history and postcards of British South Africa, British Central Africa, Bechuanaland, Rhodesia (Northern & Southern), Nyasaland, and the present day republics of Malawi, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It offers much accessible reference material on its webite.
StampAuctionNetwork – Website
Once a nice little web site on which to learn about and participate in stamp auctions in the USA and internationally, StampAuctionNetwork has become a large and complicated monster supported by ‘How to Use’ videos. It fails to describe what it does because, I guess, the assumption is that you already know. This stamp and postal history resource will allow the detemined philatelist looking for specific items to research over 240 auction houses generating annual sales of $1.8 Billion in prices realised. And more. Good luck!
South African Philately – Website
This was an informative website hosted by the prolific author, researcher, editor and publisher, Otto Peetoom. He published South African Philately three times per year, and hosted the South African Collectors Society website. Following Otto’s death in 2020 his website languished in the doldrums until being absorbed into the new South African Collectors’ website where it is preserved as the Otto Peetoom Legacy Website. It is a tribute to Otto that his old website remains a unique ‘collectable’ resource.
South African Philately Club – Website / Forum
During the Covid pandemic lockdown of 2020, a panicked time with no philatelic meetings or stamp fairs, the SAPC began as an innovative online alternative to what had been lost, providing isolated collectors with a means to stay in touch with each other and their hobby. The site proved popular and continued as a Forum after lockdown restrictions were lifted. At its peak the SAPC had some 1600 members who shared material and conversation on the interactive Forum, probably the site’s best feature.
The Stamp Web – Website
Among other things this website enthuses about the joy of stamp collecting and philately. Importantly, the other things are AlbumEasy – free software for creating custom stamp album pages – and ImageSleuth – an enhanced free replacement for retroReveal, a software program that finds images (like a postmark) inside other images (like a stamp). It can reveal obscure postmark details, like the town and date. The author, Clive Levinson, is also the webmaster of the PSGSA, the publisher of Forerunners, (see above).
Transvaal Study Circle – Publications & Website
The Transvaal Study Circle was established in 1965 to collect, study and share new information on the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (ZAR) or Transvaal. It is “here to help you satisfy your curiosity about a part of the Republic of South Africa which is no longer called after either of these names.” By examining ZAR / Transvaal postage stamps and postal history, the TSC attempts to trace how the mail criss-crossed southern Africa during the Mineral Revolution, the highpoint of British Imperialism and Boer (Afrikaner) resistance, and how this affected other parts of South Africa and its neighbouring states.
