Postal Orders of Bophuthatswana

=Independence and pre-reunification=

Bophuthatswana began issuing its own Postal Orders shortly after being granted 'independence' in 1977 by South Africa. As Bophuthatswana did not have its own banknotes (because its currency was the Rand), the postal orders are the closest things to banknotes that Bophuthatswana ever had. The last day of issue was the 26 April, 1994.

There are Bophuthatswanan postal order forms bearing issue dates of the 27 April 1994 and after, but these are classified as Remainder Issues, as Bophuthatswana was reincorporated into South Africa.

These are postal orders that were on hand when Bophuthatswana was reincorporated into South Africa. They can be classified into two series:

*The Interim Series
*Post-readmission Series

Remainder issues

The Bophuthatswana Remainder Issue postal orders of the Interim Series are those which were issued from the 27 April, 1994 until the 31 May, 1994.

The Post-reincorporation Series ones are those that were issued from 1 June, 1994,when South Africa's return to the British Commonwealth came into effect. The Remainder Issue postal orders of all four Bantustans (Bophuthatswana, Ciskei, Transkei, and Venda) are of interest to postal order collectors, as these are becoming very difficult to find, similar to those issued prior to the reincorporation of the Bantustans into South Africa.