ESCOM Golden Jubilee
South Africa, Johannesburg · 1973-02-01
Official first day cover (FDC) · South African philately
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front
info card 2
This cover is postmarked on 01-02-1973 in Johannesburg. It marks the Golden Jubilee of the Electricity Supply Commission, established on 1 March 1923 under the Electricity Act of 1922 with a mandate to operate at neither profit nor loss. By 1973 ESCOM operated 19 power stations with a combined installed capacity of 9 414 MW and supplied roughly 80% of South Africa's electricity, a scale reflected in the accompanying map insert showing the national grid linking coal fields in the Eastern Transvaal to coastal cities with no coal deposits of their own.
Description of the Cachet
The cachet shows two electricity pylons silhouetted against a dramatic sunset in orange, red and yellow, their transmission lines stretching across the sky above a distant industrial skyline. "EVKOM 1923-1973 ESCOM" runs in bold black lettering above the illustration. A "PER LUGPOS BY AIR MAIL PAR AVION" airmail label with a leaping springbok logo sits in the top left corner. The three stamps, illustrated by Michael Barnett and Johan Hoekstra, depict a stylised cooling tower emitting steam, a pylon silhouetted against a night sky, and a split panel showing factories, homes and power lines representing electricity's role across industry and daily life. The Johannesburg postmark carries a small shield bearing a lightning bolt and pine trees, with "ESCOM EVKOM" lettering. A separate map insert accompanies this cover, showing ESCOM's national grid and regional undertakings across South Africa, colour coded by region from Cape Western to Eastern Transvaal, with power stations and connecting transmission lines marked across the country.
Information Card
THE ELECTRICITY SUPPLY COMMISSION The Electricity Supply Commission (generally known as Escom) will be celebrating its Golden Jubilee on 1st March 1973. Escom was established on 1st March 1923 in terms of the Electricity Act, 1922. In the Act Escom was charged with the task of providing, wherever required, a cheap and abundant supply of electricity. The Act also stipulates that Escom shall operate at neither a profit nor a loss. In 1948 Escom purchased the assets of the Victoria Falls and Transvaal Power Company and founded the Rand and Orange Free State Undertakings. Previously other Undertakings had been established in the Eastern Transvaal, Natal, Border and Western Cape. Since 1948 the Cape Northern, Cape Eastern and Orange River Undertakings have been added. In the late sixties Escom started the construction of a high-voltage grid to link the power stations on the Eastern Transvaal coal fields to the coastal cities having no coal deposits, and at present there are about 3 300 km of 400 kV lines in service. The national grid will effect considerable savings in regard to coal transportation costs over long distances. As a logical consequence of the construction of the national grid, the Central Generation Undertaking was established on 1st January 1972, thus enabling Escom to operate all its power stations as an integrated system, which in turn will also result in significant savings. At present Escom has 19 power stations with a total installed capacity of 9 414 MW, while a further 5 600 MW are under construction. Escom supplies about 80% of all electricity in South Africa and more than 50% of all electricity generated on the continent of Africa. **Afrikaans:** DIE ELEKTRISITEITSVOORSIENINGSKOMMISSIE Die Elektrisiteitsvoorsieningskommissie (kortweg bekend as Evkom) vier op 1 Maart 1973 sy Goue Jubileum. Evkom is op 1 Maart 1923 kragtens die Elektrisiteit Wet van 1922 gestig. Ingevolge die Wet is Evkom se hooftaak die voorsiening, waar ook al benodig, van 'n goedkoop en voldoende toevoer van elektrisiteit. Die Wet bepaal ook dat Evkom sover doenlik nòg teen 'n wins nòg teen 'n verlies sake moet doen. In 1948 het Evkom die bates van die Victoria Falls and Transvaal Power Company oorgeneem en daarmee die Randse en Oranje-Vrystaatse Onderneming gestig. Vroeër is ander Ondernemings reeds gestig in Oos-Transvaal, Natal, die Grens en Wes-Kaapland. Sedert 1948 het die Noord-Kaaplandse, Oos-Kaaplandse en Oranjerivieronderneming bygekom. In die laat sestigerjare het Evkom begin met die aanlê van 'n hoëspanningsnetwerk wat die kragstasie op die Oos-Transvaalse steenkoolvelde sal verbind met die verbruikersentrums langs die kus waar geen steenkoolafsettings is nie, en het tans sowat 3 300 km 400kV-lyn in gebruik. Die landswye netwerk sal groot besparings t.o.v. die vervoer van steenkool oor lang afstande moontlik maak. As 'n logiese uitvloeisel van die landswye netwerk is die Sentrale Kragontwikkelingsonderneming op 1 Januarie 1972 gestig met die doel om al Evkom se kragstasies as 'n geïntegreerde stelsel te bedryf wat weer op sy beurt ook tot groot besparings sal lei. Evkom beskik tans oor 19 kragstasies met 'n totale geïnstalleerde vermoë van 9 414 MW, terwyl nog 5 600 MW in aanbou is. Evkom voorsien reeds sowat 80% van Suid-Afrika se elektrisiteit en meer as 50% van alle elektrisiteit wat in Afrika ontwikkel word.
Theme: Science & Technology
Condition: FineGood condition. Minor wear or small imperfections, but overall well-presented.
Addressed: No
Signed: No
Stamp denomination: R0.24 (ZAR)
SG reference: 326-328
SAPO serial number: 24
Estimated value: ~US$0.37
This is a high-level, subjective estimate only, not a professional appraisal.
This first day cover (FDC) is part of Southern Covers, a private collection of 256 first day covers documenting the postal history and philately of South Africa and the homeland states. New to first day cover collecting? Read the guide to learn about cachets, postmarks, and stamp collecting terms, or browse the whole collection of Southern African FDCs.
