Thread: Sadc countries launch joint stamp for world cup

Nine countries from the Southern African Development Community (sadc) have jointly launched a stamp to celebrate the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup which will be held in South Africa from June 11 to July 11.

In a statement received here over the weekend, the Southern African Postal Operators Association (SAPOA) said the stamps would be on sale at post offices in Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

“This is the third joint stamp issue of The Philately Task Force of the SAPOA,” it said, adding that the World Cup postage stamp series was an exclusive gold foil souvenir sheet, consisting of nine postage stamps, as well as a First Day Cover and information sheet.

It added that the souvenir sheet would be released in each of the nine participating countries in their own denomination.

The designs feature a graphic image of soccer players in action, a soccer ball, the national flag of each country as well as Zakumi, the official mascot specially designed for the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup, the first time the world’s biggest single-sport event will be taking place on the continent.

The artist who designed the stamp, Anja Denker, a specialist philately designer from Namibia, said the creative process was a challenge because of the involvement of so many parties.

“Art is subjective and everybody has a different opinion; likes and dislikes,” he said. “It was also very important to choose images on the postage stamps to be interesting as a collection of nine, free from any connotations regarding race, well-known players, et cetera, in order to rule out favouritism, racism, and so forth.”

It was the third time that Denker had been invited to design a SAPOA joint stamp issue.

Namibia Post Office chief executive officer and SAPOA Philately Task Group chairman Festus Nangula said members were satisfied with the end-product.

“Africa is blessed with enormous economic potential and with the successful organization of the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup, the African economy in general will surely change in a more positive direction,” said Kainet Moyo, executive director of SAPOA.

According to football’s world governing body, FIFA, African football has developed considerably with a general improvement in the game in the continent.

The tournament kicks off on June 11 in Johannesburg, with South Africa playing Mexico in a Group A encounter an the final will also be played in Johanesburg exactly one month later.


NAM NEWS NETWORK