Stamp celebrates SA geology

THE SA Post Office has issued a limited set of 50 000 stamps to celebrate the 35th International Geological Congress taking place from 27 August to 4 September.

Each stamp sheet contains ten stamps and costs R84. The stamps offer an artistic interpretation of ten important geological superlatives. The concept designs for these stamps were researched by a renowned South African geologist, Pieter Bosch, of the Council for Geoscience. The artwork was done by Rachel-Mari Ackermann of the SA Post Office.

The congress was presented by a different country every fourth year. In 2016, it is South Africa’s turn to present this event on behalf of the African continent. The congress will become a global stage for highlighting Southern Africa’s geo-scientific superlatives.

The last Geological Congress to be hosted by South Africa was in Pretoria in 1929. The other previous continental host was Algeria in 1952. The 10 geological superlatives featured on the stamps include the Karoo Supergroup, the Barberton Greenstone Group, Table Mountain, the Griqualand West Supergroup, the Witwatersrand Supergroup, the Vredefort meteorite crater, the Bushveld Igneous Complex, Kimberlite, the Phalaborwa Carbonatite Complex and the Cradle of Humankind.Three of these, Table Mountain, Vredefort Meteorite Crater and the Cradle of Humankind, are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The stamps are available for sale from 26 August at larger post office branches nationally and from the virtual post office at www.virtualpostoffice.co.za.