Founder of NQ Jewellery Nqobile Nkosi chats to us about growing his business.
By Fundiswa Nkwanyana
As a child growing up in Soweto, I used to make my own toys. Like many other kids in the township, we used waste material for this. This taught me how to create and design from a very young age. In 2004, I discovered that I have a natural talent for design, so I decided to pursue a career in jewellery design.
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In 2007, NQ Jewellery became the first jewellery manufacturer and retailer based in the township. My company designs contemporary and fine jewellery using silver, gold, and platinum. It is exciting to be doing what I love and getting paid for it. The career path is not easy, but I’m happy that it is growing.
I believe that South Africa’s jewellery sector has the potential to create more jobs. The lack of education, skills and exposure remains a hindrance because many people do not know about jewellery design. We live in a country that already has the raw materials to produce jewellery, so we need focus on exposing young people to jewellery design for it to grow.
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I’m looking forward to growing my business. I hope that one day, NQ Jewellery will be a factory that employs over 100 artisans producing high-quality jewellery for global distribution. For now, I’m taking it one step at a time.
