ABSTRACT
Postage stamps are used as iconographic devices by countries to promote national identity. Arguably even more so in countries that undergo significant regime change as new governments aim to bring legitimacy to their existence and attempt to promote new ideas of national belonging and identity. The inauguration of President Nelson Mandela on 10 May 1994 heralded South Africa’s transition from a segregationist apartheid state to a democratic nation. This regime change is reflected in South Africa’s iconographic devices. This study investigates the changing postage stamp iconographies during the term of the last apartheid president and the term of the first democratically elected president and is framed within the theory of banal nationalism. The visual elements of 402 South African stamps and 340 stamps from the apartheid-era homeland quasi-states were categorized and analyzed. Two levels of visual analysis were performed: a macro-analysis focusing on stamp issue themes and a micro-analysis of individual stamps. These analyses provided an indication of the iconographic changes on postage stamps during the transition period of South Africa’s regime change. Categories of visual elements with the sharpest increases from the apartheid to the democratic eras are specifically showcased. Qualitative data from in-depth interviews with philately specialists and the review of relevant articles from philatelic journals added a contextual layer to the visual analysis. Undoubtedly, post-apartheid stamps were used to convey symbols of the new democratic state, the increased visibility of women and children and sporting achievements, all showcased as a way of building national pride and cohesiveness.
