Theflag of the British South Africa Company was the flag used by theBritish South Africa Company (BSAC) andRhodesia under company rule. It was adopted in 1892 and was used until 1923 when the south of Rhodesia voted to becomeSouthern Rhodesia and the north was surrendered to theColonial Office to becomeNorthern Rhodesia. The flag remained as the company's commercial flag until 1965. The flag consisted of a BritishUnion Flag with the company's logo of a lion and tusk on a white circle in the centre with "B.S.A.C." underneath it.
The British South Africa Company headed byCecil Rhodes received aroyal charter fromQueen Victoria to create a new British colony in Africa. ThePioneer Column of the BSAC set out and foundedSalisbury in 1890. The BSAC flag they had ordered to be made did not reach South Africa from England in time before the column set off. As a result, the Union Flag was raised instead, although it had been suggested that they use a white flag with the letters "BSACo" on it.[1] The BSAC flag eventually arrived in the newly established Rhodesia in 1892 and was first raised overFort Salisbury.[2] In 1893, it was raised overBulawayo, following the company's conquest of theMatabeleland.[1][3]
In 1922, Rhodesian voters voted in theSouthern Rhodesian government referendum forresponsible government independent of the BSAC ahead of joining theUnion of South Africa.[4] Remaining under BSAC control was considered but was eventually not included in the final ballot. As such, the BSAC flag was lowered on 29 September 1923 by theBritish South Africa Police when the colony's new status asSouthern Rhodesia came into being with the Union Flag becoming the only official flag.[5] However, it is speculated that it was retained by theGovernor of Southern Rhodesia as the governor's flag until around 1931.[1] The same happened in what would becomeNorthern Rhodesia where the BSAC surrendered its role in the colony to theColonial Office via anorder in council fromHis Majesty's Privy Council.[6] Despite the flag losing its status as a colonial flag, the BSAC flag continued to be used by the British South Africa Company as their private company flag and they would fly it over their offices in London and in the Rhodesias.[1] This situation continued until 1965 when the British South Africa Company merged with theAnglo-American Corporation.[1]
As the British South Africa Company flag had no formal description or definition in the Royal charter, the design of the flag is not standardised.[2] The most common discussion was if there was a red ring around the white disk. Versions of the flag held by theNational Archives of Zimbabwe (including the final flag that flew over theMagistrates Court in Bulawayo) do not have the ring on it.[1] But versions held by the BritishNational Army Museum andLivingstone Museum inZambia do.[1][7] It was reported that the version with a red ring was used since 1889, and the version without a red ring began to be used in 1893.[8][9] There were also discussions as to if the flag hadred orblue ensigns based upon it. Though ensigns based on the flag do appear on flag charts, it is speculated they were never used as Rhodesia did not border the sea.[2]
