BotswanaPost participated at the recent International Philatelic Exhibition (IPEX) hosted by the South African Department of Communications and Digital Technologies in collaboration with the Federation Internationale de Philatelie (FIP), Universal Postal Union (UPU) and the Pan African Postal Union (PAPU).
The exhibition that was held in Capetown, South Africa, under the theme ‘The Road to Democracy’, presented a unique opportunity for Botswana to showcase her stamps to the world.
The event attracted more than 10000 participants, including exhibitors, dealers and postal administrations.
Targeting dealers, collectors and stamp enthusiasts, IPEX 22 afforded the philatelic community and enthusiasts the unique opportunity to engage over the different philatelic collections that included stamps, First Day Covers, Souvenir Sheets and Postcards.
BotswanaPost exhibited its rich collection of philatelic products from the year 2016 to date. The consignment consisted of favorites such as Pel’s Fishing Owl in Botswana – The African Scops Owl, Fish Eagle in Botswana, The Big Five, Bridges of Botswana (Kazungula and Mohembo), Endangered Birds of Botswana; the Cranes, The endangered Birds of Botswana; Botswana’s Vultures, Endangered; The Bustard, Leopards of Botswana Birds of Botswana, Invertebrates of the Kalahari; Myriapods in Botswana and Places of interest in Botswana among others.
According to a statement from BotswanaPost, they aligned themselves to this year’s exhibition theme with the release of the Mandela in Botswana Stamp titled; Mandela in Botswana – Road to Democracy stamp issue released on 18th July 2021.
The release highlighted the significance of the time the late global icon and Former President of South Africa-Nelson Mandela, spent in the town of Lobatse under the patronage of Rre Fish Keitseng during the apartheid regime in his country.
“As the world evolves, there is a compelling need to ensure that the basic principles of our existence are also aligned to the technological advancement of the sector, thus the value of the stamp should not be lost especially to the younger generation. The interest and evolution of the utility of stamps should not be restricted to collectors only but needs to cut across all spectrums as a stamp is an ambassador of a country. It transcends borders, telling the history of who we are as a people. Hence the importance of the deliberations by the sector to deploy means of incorporating stamp education in the Educational system as we drive the mandate of attaining knowledge-based economies,” noted BotswanaPost Chief Executive Officer, Cornelius Ramatlhakwane.