Hard work pays off for young jeweller
NQOBILE Nkosi, 36, is the proud owner of a small jewellery making business.
NQ jewellery recently celebrated the opening of a new factory at the Rand Refinery Estate in Germiston.
NQ jewellery was launched in 2009 by Nkosi while he was studying the craft of jewellery making at the Soweto Jewellery School.
He started chasing his dream of breaking barriers in the white dominated industry from humble beginnings. He first operated his business from a room in his mother’s house in Dube, Soweto.
Nkosi started off studying electrical engineering before being forced to drop out owing to financial constraints.
As that door shut, another opened, a chance encounter while in the queue to try and secure an engineering bursary led him to the Soweto Jewellery School where he was granted a bursary that made him realise his true calling.
Nkosi’s first big break came when the 2009 Jet Community Awards recognised him as the Vuka Uzenzele category winner for creating employment and motivating the community, with the prize money of R150 000, he had the capital to build a four-room facility and purchase equipment and material.
Legislation at the time did not allow for the licensing of a factory within a township, but with determination and hard work NQ Jewellery was officially launched as the first-ever manufacturer and retailer in Soweto.
Nkosi has since participated in competitions and has received numerous awards.
“We have won a number of competitions and none of them were design competitions, mainly because l believe that Jewellery is art, how can it be wrong. The beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” Nkosi said.
His story has touched the hearts of many leading to countless media appearances including interviews for Forbes Africa and Bona Magazine.
He also received an invitation to the United Kingdom where he was introduced to various companies who offered him internships and training on end-to-end jewellery production.
One award that changed his life was the Tsogo Sun Entrepreneur of the year award in 2016.
“Through the Tsogo Sun Entrepreneur platform, we launched our first corporate division, designing, manufacturing and supplying high quality items. This led to our incorporation into the Rand Refinery supplier development programme,” he said.
NQ Jewellery has exhibited in London and Hong Kong, he has completed commissions for high-profile clients, including Dr Tshepo Motsepe, current first lady of South Africa who wore a pair of his earrings on the August 2018 cover of Destiny Magazine, to name a few.