Limited edition stamps celebrate world congress
The theme for this year’s congress is Forests and People: Investing in a sustainable future.
SOUTH African Post Office has issued a limited edition set of five stamps to celebrate the 14th World Forestry Congress, being held for the first time in South Africa from September 7-11.
The SA Post Office has printed 50 000 sheets of the stamps; a very small number in comparison to the three million items the post office delivers daily.
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The stamps were designed by renowned Pretoria artist, Annemarie Wessels, and cover the main discussion topics at the congress, such as transforming livelihoods and forest governance, as well as indigenous forest plants, trees and animals.
These limited edition stamps can be purchased online at www.virtualpostoffice.co.za or from post offices at a cost of R40 per sheet.
Mlu Mathonsi, acting group CEO, said the stamps spread the congresses’ message that forests are important to the survival of the human race.
“Our philatelic activities are intertwined with history and our daily activities. For this reason we ensure that our stamps are meaningful to the everyday lives of the people associated with us as an entity,” said Mathonsi.
The SA Post Office has developed stamps to celebrate all the SA presidents, Nobel Prize winners and promoted tourism with the big five collectible stamps.
“Through the medium of our little ambassador, the stamp, we have also celebrated various heroes of the freedom struggle and most recently, a souvenir stamp commemorating the life of Nelson Mandela, which is still on sale in all the post offices nationally.”
