southern covers

Southern Africa First Day Covers

Showcasing a private collection of Southern Africa first day covers to present.

Welcome to Southern Covers, a reference site dedicated to the first day covers (FDCs), postal history, and philately of Southern Africa. Here you'll find stamps, cachets, and postmarks issued by the Republic of South Africa and the former homeland states, brought together in one place for collectors, researchers, and anyone curious about this corner of stamp collecting.

This site showcases a private collection of South African first day covers gathered over the last century. Every FDC is catalogued individually, complete with its own photographs, cachet artwork, and postmark details, so you can explore the story behind each stamp up close.

Have a browse through the catalogue, and enjoy the journey through Southern African stamp collecting history.

New to First Day Covers? Read our guide to get familiar with the terms and history behind what you are about to see.

At a glance

256

covers catalogued

327

photos uploaded

~US$109.98

estimated value

See the full breakdown, by issuing authority, decade, category, theme, and more.

Cover spotlight

REPUBLIC OF VENDA

This cover is postmarked on 13 September 1979 in Sibasa, marking Venda's declaration of independence from South Africa. It carries the Venda independence set of four stamps, SAPO [number to confirm], depicting the territorial flag, a new administrative building, President Patrick Mphephu and the national coat of arms. Venda's new capital, Thohoyandou, takes its name from the Venda words for "head of the elephant", a name echoed in the elephant motifs appearing on both the coat of arms stamp and the cachet itself. Mphephu, pictured on the 4c stamp, had already served as the territory's Chief Minister since 1973 and became its first president on the day this cover was posted.

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