Flag of the British South Africa Company facts for kids

The flag of the British South Africa Company

The flag of the British South Africa Company was a special flag. It was used by the British South Africa Company (BSAC). This company ruled a large area in Africa. This area later became Southern Rhodesia and Northern Rhodesia. The flag was first used in 1892. It was used until 1923. That's when the company's rule ended. The flag had a British Union Flag as its base. It also had the company's logo. This logo was a lion and a tusk. It was inside a white circle. The letters "B.S.A.C." were written below the logo.

History of the BSAC Flag

A New Colony in Africa

The British South Africa Company was led by Cecil Rhodes. He received a special permission from Queen Victoria. This permission was called a royal charter. It allowed the company to create a new British colony in Africa.

Raising the Flag

In 1890, a group called the Pioneer Column set out. They were part of the BSAC. They founded a town called Salisbury. The BSAC flag they ordered did not arrive in time. So, they raised the Union Flag instead. Some people thought they should use a white flag. It would have "BSACo" written on it.

The official BSAC flag arrived in 1892. It was first raised over Fort Salisbury. In 1893, it was also raised over Bulawayo. This happened after the company took control of Matabeleland.

End of Company Rule

In 1922, people in Rhodesia voted. They chose to have their own government. This meant they would be independent from the BSAC. They did not want to join the Union of South Africa.

On September 29, 1923, the BSAC flag was lowered. This was done by the British South Africa Police. The area became Southern Rhodesia. The Union Flag became the only official flag.

The same thing happened in Northern Rhodesia. The BSAC gave up its control there. This was done through a special order. Even though it was no longer a colonial flag, the BSAC flag was still used. The company flew it over its offices. This continued until 1965. That's when the British South Africa Company joined another company.

Flag Design Variations

Different Flag Designs

The British South Africa Company flag did not have a strict design. There was no formal description for it. So, the flag's design was not always the same.

One common question was about a red ring. Some flags had a red ring around the white disk. Other flags did not have this ring. Flags kept in the National Archives of Zimbabwe do not have the ring. But flags in the British National Army Museum do. Flags in the Livingstone Museum in Zambia also have the ring.

It is believed that the version with the red ring was used from 1889. The version without the ring started being used in 1893.

Red and Blue Ensigns

There were also discussions about other flags. These were based on the BSAC flag. They were called red or blue ensigns. These types of flags are usually for ships.

Even though these flags appeared on some charts, they were likely never used. Rhodesia did not have a coastline. So, there was no need for naval flags.

Red ensign (left), Blue ensign (centre), Zambian red ring version (right)

Images for kids

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  The BSAC flag in the Natural History Museum in Bulawayo