Botswana’s 2024 stamp program flies in on a quartet of butterfly wings. Okay, yea, I apologise for that, but it was irresistible. It’s hard not to be excited when one of my favourite countries issues a new series. Botswana is a treasure trove of artists to discover!  Botswana Post doesn’t just issue stamps, they go all out in supporting local artists, which includes running workshops to help train up new generations in stamp design. Last year saw Keitshupile Tshiba’s two stamps, and this year, 2024 kicks off with Kedumetse Tshidiso’s very first, Butterflies of the Great Thirstland. 

As much as I loved Tshiba’s work last year, the true star of 2023 turned out to be a reprint of Professor Walter Whall Battiss’ 1980 Folktales stamps. The series explored 4 Botswanan folktales. Chiwele and the Giant, Kgori is not Deceived, Nyambi’s Wife and Crocodile and Clever Hare.

They reached into Botswana Post’s rich design history for this second Crypto stamp release. I’m hoping there will be a third set, but in all seriousness, Folktales will be hard to surpass. 

I’d like to thank Botswana Post for sending me a link to the Butterflies brochure. I appreciate their quick response to my inquiries. Without their help, most of the details for the first issue would have been missing. 

Enjoy the year
Catpaw

February

Butterflies of the Great Thirstland

4 stamps, FDC, cancel, souvenir sheet, sheets of 40 and gutter pairs
offset

The Great Thirstland is a name for the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, where the land experiences long, spells with no rain, resulting the riverbeds running dry. 

In winter there can be severe frosts with temperatures as low as -15°C (5°F) and it is not unusual for summer daytime temperatures to be well over 40°C (104°F). Out of the 250 species of butterflies that occur in Botswana, only 41 are found in the Kgalagadi region. Most butterfly species cannot cope with the low or erratic rainfall, and many of those that can cope with drought cannot survive frost.
Botswana brochure Butterflies of the Great Thirstland March 2024

• African Migrant (Catopsilia florella)  
• African Monarch (Danaus chrysippus)  
• Spotted Joker (Byblia Ilithyia)  
• Painted Lady (Vanessa Cardui Cardui)

 Butterflies of the Great Thirstland – letting nature back in has a great article and beautiful photos that cover all of the above butterflies. 

Download Botswana Post’s info brochure here me-qr.com/mobile/pdf/21131367 

Artist: Kedumetse Tshidiso
This is Tshidiso’s first stamp design. He is a self-taught artist. 
Designer: Onica Lekuntwane
Lekuntwane started her stamp design life in 2015 (African Elephant (Loxodonta africana), Crane, Herons). She has used her background in education and graphic design to create workshops to encourage artists to learn the how to design stamps. This is one thing Botswana Post excels at – encouraging a new generation of artists to take designing stamps with respect.   

Release date: February 29, 2024