Bantus conquered the area as early as 800 AD and by 1100 they had
developed an important trade in gold and ivory. In the 16th century the
Portuguese sent missionaries and by 1629 they had reduced the empire to a
virtual slave state. By the 17th Century the Ndebele settled and in 1888
they granted mining rights to British colonialist Cecil Rhodes, but subsequent
white settlement brought warfare that continued until 1897.

In 1923 the British proclaimed Southern Rhodesia as a British colony.
And in 1963, white settlers pressed for independence, which the British
government refused without safeguards for ultimate Black - African control.
But in 1965 a Rhodesian white government, led by Ian D. Smith, declared
independence. In 1977 the Africans began a guerrilla campaign
and won independence on 31 December 1978.

Here is the very last issue of stamps issued by the Government of Rhodesia.
This was officially attested by the First Day of Issue Postmark on these
envelopes of 18 October 1978. The complete set of six ( 6 ) stamps
commemorate the 75th Anniversary of Powered Flight, showing not only the
Wright Brothers' Flyer of 1903, but also several local craft. Enclosed in each
First Day Cover is a card giving full information on this last set of stamps
to be issued by Rhodesia, soon to be renamed Zimbabwe.