Seychelles Postal Service

Last updated
Seychelles Postal Service
Industry Postal services, courier
HeadquartersPO Box 60,
Victoria
,
Seychelles
Key people
Mariella Buisson, CEO [1]
Services Letter post, parcel service, EMS, delivery, Financial services
Website seychelles-post.com

The Seychelles Postal Service, is the public operator responsible for postal service in Seychelles. [2]

Contents

The Seychelles Postal Service is a member of the Universal Postal Union as accepted into the organization on 7 October 1977 using the ISO Code: ISO 3166-2:SC. [2] It is a signatory to the 2016 Postal Payment Services Agreement. [3]

History

Seychelles first post office was opened in 1861 though letters may have been carried privately since 1824. A central post office, as a sub-office of Mauritius, was opened in Victoria in 1861 but used Mauritius stamps, [4] until 5 July 1880, when only Seychelles stamps were valid though Mauritius stamps could be exchanged for the new local stamps that were issued on 5 April 1890. [5] Except for improvements and repairs the Victoria post office has remained in the same location since opening. [6]

Victoria Post Office and clock tower c 1900 Post office clock tower Victoria Seychelles 1900s.jpg
Victoria Post Office and clock tower c 1900

A regular maritime mail contract was initiated in 1866 and by 1877, 14,184 letters were reported between the Seychelles and the Mauritius Post Office. A local post was first initiated in 1893 and police non-commissioned officers acted as receiving and dispatching officers but this terminated in July of the following year. 1894 and 1895 saw great strides forward with the introduction of an inland postal service and the British India Steam Navigation Company starting a shipping contract in August 1895. [4]

Bickham Sweet-Escott became administrator of the Seychelles in June 1899 and Governor of the Seychelles between 1903-4. During his tenure he introduced changes that improved the inland post service using the paquebot service. [7]

20th century

By 1920 the postal service had expanded to include all the outlying islands within the Seychelles. [7] Airmail service that had started in 1932 [4] became official in 1938 when the mail was transported on at least one leg of its journey by aircraft providing a faster service than ships alone. [8] That service was connected through Karachi and Nairobi. [4] Mahé, Praslin, La Digue and the outer islands were included in the local postal service that by 1965 also included the British Indian Ocean Territory. [4]

21st century

On Mahé, besides the Victoria post office, in the south-east of the main island is an office at Anse Royale, that moved in 2020 from its original location because it was too cramped for the quantity of small packets arriving [9] and on 1 June 2022 was moved back to its former location. [10] In the same year the post office at La Digue was closed because the building was to be demolished despite the Postal Sector Act of 2010 including provisions for the Seychelles Postal Services' to own their properties. [9]

Mariella Buisson was appointed CEO of the postal service by the county's president Wavel Ramkalawan on 3 December 2021. [1] In February 2022 she announced the Baie Ste Anne post office on Praslin would close permanently on 15 March 2022 saying it costs R1.3 million to run but only brings in R292,000. Staff were transferred to the Grand Anse branch on the island. The Seychelles Postal Services employs some 100 people between its post offices that includes a parcel section in Victoria. [11]

Services

Central post office in the capital Victoria Seychelles Postal Services (Bureau de Poste) building.jpg
Central post office in the capital Victoria

Services include: [12]

Stamps

The Seychelles was a separate British crown colony in 1903 having been a dependency of Mauritius for almost 100 years. [7]

Since the nation became independent in 1976 the postal service continues to offer stamps honouring the islands by issuing stamps with a more local flavour, such as those commemorating significant events from the around the globe, like the Olympic games the nation participates in and today feature local flora and fauna, and issues depicting historical Seychellois figures. They have also issued stamps of the British royals who previously served as the head of state for the islands. [7]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seychelles</span> African island country in the Indian Ocean

Seychelles, officially the Republic of Seychelles, is an island country and archipelagic state consisting of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, Victoria, is 1,500 kilometres east of mainland Africa. Nearby island countries and territories include the Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, and the French overseas departments of Mayotte and Réunion to the south; and Maldives and the Chagos Archipelago to the east. Seychelles is the smallest country in Africa as well as the least populated sovereign African country, with an estimated population of 100,600 in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demographics of Seychelles</span>

Demographic features of the population of Seychelles include population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Politics of Seychelles</span>

The politics of Seychelles have historical roots in both one-party socialism and autocratic rule. Following independence from the United Kingdom in 1976, Seychelles was a sovereign republic until 1977, when the original President and leader of the Seychelles Democratic Party, James Mancham, was overthrown in a bloodless coup by the Prime Minister France-Albert René. René installed a single-party socialist state under the Seychelles People's Progressive Front in 1979 which remained in power until 1993, when multiparty elections took place for the first time since independence, after restoring the multi-party system in 1991. Modern day Seychelles governance takes place in a framework of a presidential republic, whereby the President of Seychelles is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the National Assembly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geography of Seychelles</span> Geography of the Seychelles islands

Seychelles is a small island country east of the African continent's mainland located in the Sea of Zanj due north of Madagascar, with Antsiranana as its nearest foreign city. Seychelles lies between approximately 4ºS and 10ºS and 46ºE and 54ºE. The nation is an archipelago of 155 tropical islands, some granite and some coral. the majority of which are small and uninhabited. The landmass is only 452 km2 (175 sq mi), but the islands are spread wide over an exclusive economic zone of 1,336,559 km2 (516,048 sq mi). About 90 percent of the population of 100,000 live on Mahé, 9 percent on Praslin and La Digue. Around a third of the land area is the island of Mahé and a further third the atoll of Aldabra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seychelles International Airport</span> Airport

Seychelles International Airport, or Aéroport de la Pointe Larue in French, is the international airport of the Seychelles located on the island of Mahé near the capital city of Victoria. The airport is the home base and the head office of Air Seychelles and features several regional and long-haul routes due to its importance as the gateway to a major international leisure destination.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Takamaka, Seychelles</span> District in Seychelles

Takamaka is one of the 26 administrative regions of Mahé, Republic of Seychelles. It is located on the southern part of the island of Mahé. Three other districts cover the two other main islands of the Republic, Grand' Anse and Baie Sainte Anne on the island of Praslin and the inner islands district which comprise the 3rd largest island, La Digue. The population of Takamata is estimated at around 3,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mahé, Seychelles</span> Largest island of Seychelles

Mahé is the largest island of Seychelles, with an area of 157.3 square kilometres (60.7 sq mi), lying in the northeast of the Seychellois nation in the Somali Sea part of the Indian Ocean. The population of Mahé was 77,000, as of the 2010 census. It contains the capital city of Victoria and accommodates 86% of the country's total population. The island was named after Bertrand-François Mahé de La Bourdonnais, a French governor of Isle de France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Praslin</span> Island in the Seychelles, Somali Sea

Praslin is the second largest island (38.5 km2) of the Inner Seychelles, lying 44 km (27 mi) northeast of Mahé. Praslin has a population of around 7,533 people and comprises two administrative districts: Baie Sainte Anne and Grand' Anse. The main settlements are the Baie Ste Anne, Anse Volbert and Grand' Anse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">La Digue</span> Island of the Seychelles

La Digue is the third most populated island of the Seychelles, and fourth largest by land area, lying east of Praslin and west of Felicite Island. In size, it is the fourth-largest granitic island of Seychelles after Mahé, Praslin, and Silhouette Island. It has a population of 2,800 people. Most of the inhabitants live in the west coast villages of La Passe and Anse Réunion. There is no airport on La Digue, so to get there from a foreign country, one must fly to Victoria and continue by ferry, usually via Praslin. It has an area of 10.08 km2, making it relatively easy to travel by bike or on foot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Districts of Seychelles</span>

Seychelles is divided into 26 districts. All but one are located on the Inner Islands; the Outer Islands make up the most recent district. Eight districts make up Greater Victoria, 14 make up the rural part of the main island of Mahé, two make up Praslin, and one makes up La Digue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anse Royale</span> District in Seychelles

Anse Royale is an administrative district of Seychelles located on the island of Mahé. The Seychelles Polytechnic School of the Humanities is located in this district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baie Saint Anne</span> District in Seychelles

Baie Sainte Anne is an administrative district of Seychelles located mostly on the island of Praslin, but also administers Curieuse Island and some other smaller islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand'Anse Praslin</span> District in Seychelles

Grand'Anse Praslin is an administrative district of Seychelles located mostly on the island of Praslin, but also administers Cousin Island, Cousine Island, Booby Island, and Aride Island.

Lazare Picault was a French explorer known for his exploration of islands in the Seychelles. Although Arab, Portuguese and British sailors visited the Seychelles prior to Picault, he was the first to do any extensive exploration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tourism in Seychelles</span>

Tourism is the most important nongovernment sector of Seychelles' economy. About 15 percent of the formal work force is directly employed in tourism, and employment in construction, banking, transportation, and other activities is closely tied to the tourist industry. Tourists enjoy the Seychelles' coral beaches and opportunities for water sports. Wildlife in the archipelago is also a major attraction.

Articles related to Seychelles include:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Seychelles</span> European colonisation in Africa

The history of Seychelles dates back to the fourth of the Portuguese India Armadas led by Vasco da Gama, though Seychelles was likely already known to Arab navigators and other sailors for many centuries. On 15 March 1503, the scrivener Thomé Lopes noted the sighting of an elevated island, doubtless one of the granitic islands and almost certainly Silhouette Island. The first recorded landing was by the men of the English East India Company ship Ascension, which arrived in Seychelles in January 1609.The islands were claimed by France in 1756. Seychelles remained uninhabited until the first settlers arrived on board the ship Thélemaque, which arrived on 27 August 1770. Captain Leblanc Lecore landed the first colonists, comprising 15 white men, eight Africans and five Indians. The Seychellois Creole language developed as a means of communication between the different races. The British frigate Orpheus commanded by Captain Henry Newcome arrived at Mahé on 16 May 1794. Terms of capitulation were drawn up and the next day Seychelles was surrendered to Britain. Following the fall of Mauritius to British forces, Captain Phillip Beaver of the Nisus arrived at Mahé on 23 April 1811 and took possession of Seychelles as a permanent colony of Britain. The Seychelles became an independent republic in 1976. Following a coup d'état, a socialist one-party state ruled the country from 1977 to 1993. The subsequent democratic Presidential elections were won by candidates of the same party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Postage stamps and postal history of Seychelles</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">1948 Seychellois parliamentary election</span>

Parliamentary elections were held for the first in the Seychelles in October 1948. The Seychelles Taxpayers and Producers Association (STPA), which primarily represented the interests of large landowners, won all four seats.

de Symons Honey

Sir de Symons Montagu George Honey, was a Cape Colony-born colonial administrator. He served as Resident Commissioner in Swaziland, from 1917 to 1928 and as Governor of the Seychelles from 1928 to 1933.

References

  1. 1 2 "Appointment of the Chief Executive Officer of the Seychelles Postal Services". News. State House: Office of the President of the Republic of Seychelles. 3 December 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  2. 1 2 "Seychelles". Member countries. Universal Postal Union. 1977. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  3. ↑ "Signatories to the 2016 Postal Payment Services Agreement". Universal Postal Union . Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "History". Seychelles Postal Service. 2018. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
  5. ↑ "Postal Documents". The American Philatelist . Philadelphia: The American Philatelist. IV (12): 298. 10 September 1890. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  6. ↑ Ernesta, Sharon (16 May 2019). "6 shops in Seychelles that have remained open for decades". Seychelles News Agency. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Seychelles' First Postage Stamps: The Beginning of a Separate Identity". History and Culture. Kreol Magazine. 22 June 2015. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  8. ↑ "6 curious historical events in Seychelles that all happened in March". News. Seychelles News Agency. 28 March 2019. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  9. 1 2 Pointe, Else (25 July 2020). "Anse Royale post office moves to new location, minimal fee introduced on small packets". Domestic News. Seychelles Nation . Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  10. ↑ "Anse Royale post office moves to new location, minimal fee introduced on small packets". Domestic News. Seychelles Nation. 11 May 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  11. ↑ Gappy, Vidya (16 February 2022). "Baie Ste Anne post office to cease operations on March 15". Domestic News. Seychelles Nation . Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  12. ↑ Ernesta, Sharon (11 June 2019). "Seychelles Postal Services unveils new customer care service, SMS booking service and souvenir shop". National News. Seychelles News Agency. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
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