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South Africa

Published September 18, 2012 Updated September 28, 2022

Protea Playing Card Company, Johannesburg

South Africa

Protea Playing Card Company, Johannesburg

Blue Train

Above: Railway locomotive playing cards manufactured by Protea Playing Card Company for SA Spoorwegmuseum / SA Railway Museum, Johannesburg, 1970s  more

Double Sided Magic Cards

Above: Double-sided Magic cards by Protea Playing Card Company, Johannesburg.


Bridge size deck with non-standard suit colours

Above: Bridge size deck with non-standard suit colours, blue diamonds & green clubs by Protea Playing Card Co  more


Above: matching packs (blue or red backs) produced for South African Airways by Protea.


The Little Five Souvenir of Africa by Protea

Above: the Little Five Souvenir of Africa by Protea. Image courtesy Matt Probert.


Kruger Park

Above: Kruger Park deck manufactured by Protea Playing Card Company, Johannesburg. The joker’s clothes have the colours reversed. Image courtesy Matt Probert.

The Big Five Series Souvwenir pack

Above: The Big Five Series Souvwenir pack. Image courtesy Matt Probert.

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By Simon Wintle

Member since February 01, 1996

Founder and editor of the World of Playing Cards since 1996. He is a former committee member of the IPCS and was graphics editor of The Playing-Card journal for many years. He has lived at various times in Chile, England and Wales and is currently living in Extremadura, Spain. Simon's first limited edition pack of playing cards was a replica of a seventeenth century traditional English pack, which he produced from woodblocks and stencils.

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Protea Playing Card Company, Johannesburg