SAPO Automatic Mail Sorting
South Africa, Cape Town · 1975-09-11
Official first day cover (FDC) · South African philately
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front
info card 2
This cover is postmarked on 11-09-1975 in Cape Town. It marks the introduction of semi-automatic mail sorting equipment to Cape Town, following a successful 1968 pilot of the technology in Pretoria. During the 1973/74 financial year South Africa's Post Office handled approximately 1,734 million items of mail by hand, and the accompanying text notes that a sorting machine could process up to 22,000 items an hour compared with an average of 1,500 items an hour for a human sorter working by hand.
Description of the Cachet
The cachet features a bold pinwheel motif made of three interlocking orange arrows curving around a central point, symbolising the continuous motion of mechanised sorting. "OUTOMATIESE POSSORTERING AUTOMATIC MAIL SORTING" appears in a faded grey slogan cancel style stamp above the design, with a circular Cape Town postmark bearing the postal codes "8000" and "8001" set within the pinwheel's centre. The single stamp, illustrated by Jeremy Sampson, shows a grid of postal icons in blue, orange and yellow including an envelope, a coded letter, and sorting symbols, visually summarising the mechanised sorting process the cover documents. A separate photographic insert accompanies this cover, showing an aerial view of a semi-automatic mail sorting installation with culling machines, an automatic facer and canceller, a row of coding desks staffed by workers, and an automatic mail sorting machine, numbered and captioned to match the description given in the info card text. The insert image itself was printed upside down relative to its caption, an apparent printing quirk of the original card.
Information Card
POSMEGANISASIE Sedert Pedro D'Ataide die eerste brief in 1501 in 'n ou stewel by Mosselbaai geplaas het, word briewe met die hand gesorteer. Hierdie proses is nie net tydrowend nie maar ook uiters vermoeiend. Die geweldige toename in die volume posstukke oor die jare en die huidige nypende arbeidstekort het die Poskantoor genoodsaak om die toestand deur middel van meganisasie die hoof te bied. Gedurende die boekjaar 1973/74 is nagenoeg 1,734 miljoen posstukke van alle kategorieë in Suid-Afrika gehanteer. Volgens die jongste statistiek neem hierdie getal steeds toe. Na 'n omvattende studie van die moontlikhede van meganisasie is 'n semi-outomatiese sorteermasjien gedurende 1968 in Pretoria vir eksperimentele doeleindes in gebruik geneem. Die proefnemings daarmee was só geslaagd dat meer gesofistikeerde uitrusting vir Kaapstad en Johannesburg bestel is wat onderskeidelik gedurende 1975 en 1976 in gebruik geneem sal word. Die semi-outomatiese sorteerstelsels in Johannesburg en Kaapstad bestaan elkeen uit 'n aantal kodeertafels, voorsorteerkanale en possorteermasjiene. 'n Sorteermasjien kan tot 22,000 posstukke per uur hanteer. Hierteenoor is 'n sorteerder slegs in staat om gemiddeld 1,500 stukke per uur met die hand te sorteer en vanweë die fisiese beperkings van die sorteerder en die beperkte grootte van 'n sorteerrak moet posstukke wat met die hand gesorteer word soms tot drie keer gehanteer word voordat die sorteerproses voltooi is. Die poskodestelsel is die hulpmiddel waardeur sorteermasjiene in staat gestel word om die posstukke volgens 'n rekenaarbeheerde program te sorteer. Posstukke sonder poskodes verydel die optimale benutting van die masjiene. **English:** POSTAL MECHANISATION Since the first letter was placed in an old boot at Mossel Bay by Pedro D'Ataide in 1501 all mail matter has been sorted by hand. This process is not only time-consuming but is also extremely fatiguing. The enormous increase in the volume of mail matter over the years and the present acute shortage of staff have forced the Post Office to counter the position by means of mechanisation. Approximately 1,734 million items of mail matter of all categories were handled in South Africa during the 1973/74 financial year. According to the latest statistics this figure is still increasing. After a comprehensive study of the possibilities of mechanisation a semi-automatic sorting machine was taken into use in Pretoria for experimental purposes during 1968. The tests were so successful that more sophisticated equipment was ordered for Cape Town and Johannesburg and will be commissioned during 1975 and 1976 respectively. Each of the semi-automatic sorting systems for Johannesburg and Cape Town consists of a number of coding-desks, pre-sort channels and letter-sorting machines. A sorting machine can handle up to 22,000 items an hour. On the other hand a sorter can dispose of an average of 1,500 items an hour by hand and because of the physical limitations of a sorter and the limited size of a sorting press, mail matter sorted by hand has sometimes to be handled up to three times before the sorting process is completed. The postal-code system is the medium through which sorting machines are enabled to sort mail matter in accordance with a computer controlled program. Mail matter without postal codes defeats optimal utilisation of the machines. Bojo 4278
Theme: Science & Technology
Condition: FineGood condition. Minor wear or small imperfections, but overall well-presented.
Addressed: No
Signed: No
Stamp denomination: R0.04 (ZAR)
SG reference: 385
SAPO serial number: 2.8
Estimated value: ~US$0.1
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 248 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.
