Richards Bay
South Africa, Saldanha · 1978-07-31
Official first day cover (FDC) · South African philately
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front
This cover is postmarked on 31 July 1978 in Saldanha, with a special postmark depicting a sailing ship. It carries the South Africa harbours set, SAPO [number to confirm], two aerial view stamps showing Saldanha Bay and Richards Bay, South Africa's two major new deep-sea harbour developments of the 1970s. Both harbours came online within about a year of each other, Saldanha's first ore ship docking on 23 September 1976 and Richards Bay completing its first year of coal exports by 1 April 1977. Between them, the two projects represented a combined investment of well over R1,4 billion in new rail lines, rolling stock and port infrastructure built specifically to move South Africa's iron ore and coal to export markets.
Description of the Cachet
The cachet is a black and white pen and ink drawing of Richards Bay under construction, showing a large section of raised bridge or jetty structure supported on tall concrete piers, with a crane rig extending diagonally overhead on cables. The style is loose and sketchy, built up from short, energetic strokes rather than fine detail, giving the scene an industrial, work in progress feel. Below the drawing the cover simply reads "RICHARDS BAY" in plain black capitals, next to a small diamond shaped PT emblem marked 3.9.
Information Card
SALDANHA While Richard's Bay Harbour and its connecting lines were under construction on the East Coast, a similar project came into being on the West Coast to bring the iron ore and other minerals of the North-Western Cape within reach of the industrial countries of the world: the magnificent Sishen/Saldanha Project which, inclusive of rolling stock for the export of 18 million tons of ore per annum, cost some R638 million. Within three years and three months after construction started on this deep-sea port and the railway line of 861 km, the first ore ship docked on 23 September 1976 and this project started earning foreign exchange for South Africa. The basic infrastructure has been created and the project can be expanded to handle all additional minerals and other cargo. It is expected that by 1980 considerable quantities of lead, copper and zinc concentrates will also be exported and it will be able to handle the raw materials and products for a semi-steel factory. The vast scope of the project is illustrated by the fact that in its first year of existence, some 10 million tons of iron ore were exported. And when other minerals start flowing through the port by 1980 the project should earn about R400 million per annum in foreign exchange. This means increased prosperity for the West Coast and for South Africa. RICHARD'S BAY Richard's Bay harbour, South Africa's first new harbour since Union, was built on the Natal North Coast in the lagoon into which the Umhlatuzi and Nsezi Rivers run. A new rail connection had to be provided between the Transvaal coal fields and the harbour and this vast project comprising more than 500 km of railway line, the purchase of rolling stock, and the completion of the first phase of the harbour, an investment of close on R800 million, became a reality within four years of the commencement of construction work. The harbour will be instrumental in consolidating the position of this country, which is so richly endowed with minerals and other resources, in the competitive world market and in strengthening its economy by the foreign exchange it earns. In this regard coal is an important export and the harbour is intended to meet the growing needs other countries have of the energy confined in the South African coal fields. By 1 April 1977, the end of its first year of operation, more than 5 million tons of coal had been exported through it and in 1980 the export of minerals through this harbour is expected to earn foreign exchange to the value of some R900 million. SALDANHA Onderwyl Richardsbaaihawe aan die Ooskus en sy verbindingslyne in aanbou was, het 'n soortgelyke projek aan die Weskus tot stand gekom om die ystererts en ander minerale van Noordwes-Kaapland binne bereik van die nywerheidslande van die wêreld te bring: die grootste Sishen/Saldanha-projek wat sowat R638 miljoen gekos het waarby rollende materiaal ingesluit is om 18 miljoen ton erts per jaar uit te voer. Binne drie jaar en drie maande nadat met boumerk op hierdie diepseehawe en die spoorlyn van 861 km begin is, is die eerste ertsskip op 23 September 1976 vasgemeer en het hierdie projek buitelandse valuta vir Suid-Afrika begin verdien. Die basiese infrastruktuur is geskep en die projek kan uitgebrei word om alle bykomende minerale en ander vrag te hanteer. Na verwagting sal daar teen 1980 ook aansienlike hoeveelhede lood-, koper- en sinkkonsentrate uitgevoer word, terwyl 'n halfstaalfabriek se grondstowwe gehanteer sal kan word. Die geweldige omvang van die projek blyk uit die feit dat in sy eerste bestaansjaar sowat 10 miljoen ton ystererts uitgevoer is. En wanneer daar teen 1980 ook die uitvoer van ander minerale deur die hawe begin word, sal die projek buitelandse valuta ter waarde van ongeveer R400 miljoen per jaar verdien. Dit beteken toenemende voorspoed vir die Weskus en vir Suid-Afrika. RICHARDSBAAI Richardsbaaihawe, Suid-Afrika se eerste nuwe hawe sedert Uniewording, is aan die Natalse Noordkus gebou in die strandmeer waarin die Umhlatuzi- en Nsezirivier uitmond. 'n Nuwe spoorverbinding moes tussen die Transvaalse steenkoolvelde en dié hawe voorsien word en hierdie geweldige projek van meer as 500 km spoorlyn, die aankoop van rollende materiaal en die voltooiing van die eerste fase van die hawe, 'n belegging van bykans R800 miljoen, het 'n werklikheid geword binne vier jaar nadat daar met die konstruksiewerk begin is. Die hawe sal daartoe bydra om die posisie van hierdie land, wat so ryklik met minerale en ander grondstowwe bedeel is, in die mededingende wêreldmark te versterk en sy ekonomie te versterk deur die buitelandse valuta wat daardeur verdien word. In hierdie opsig is steenkool 'n belangrike uitvoerproduk en die hawe is daarop gemik om te voorsien in die groeiende behoefte aan die energie wat in die Suid-Afrikaanse steenkoolvelde opgesluit lê. Tot aan die einde van die hawe se eerste bestaansjaar op 1 April 1977 is meer as 5 miljoen ton steenkool reeds hierdeur uitgevoer en teen 1980 sal die uitvoer van minerale deur dié hawe na verwagting buitelandse valuta ter waarde van ongeveer R900 miljoen per jaar verdien.
Theme: Transport
Condition: FineGood condition. Minor wear or small imperfections, but overall well-presented.
Addressed: No
Signed: No
Stamp denomination: R0.29 (ZAR)
SG reference: 442-443
SAPO serial number: 3.9
Estimated value: ~US$0.06
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.
