South Africa is looking beyond platinum mining to strengthen its position in the global luxury jewellery industry, with a national competition helping local designers turn the precious metal into high-value products for international markets.

The 27th edition of the PlatAfrica jewellery competition has highlighted the country’s growing pool of design and manufacturing talent, bringing together professional jewellers, students and apprentices to showcase their ability to work with platinum. The initiative is supported by Valterra Platinum, Metal Concentrators and Platinum Guild International.

Beyond recognising outstanding designs, the competition provides practical industry exposure and technical training, giving emerging jewellers an opportunity to develop skills that could support careers across the platinum value chain.

More than 1,000 jewellers trained

PlatAfrica has trained and equipped more than 1,000 jewellers and designers during its 27-year history, making it an established platform for developing specialist skills in South Africa’s jewellery manufacturing industry.

The programme connects participants with platinum as a working material while exposing them to industry stakeholders. This experience is important in building local manufacturing capabilities and creating opportunities beyond the extraction and processing of precious metals. Platinum jewellery also supports an extensive economic value chain, spanning mining, smelting, refining, design, manufacturing and retail. The sector provides employment opportunities while creating additional demand for platinum outside its industrial applications.

Valterra Platinum CEO Craig Miller said the competition demonstrates the depth of South African design and manufacturing talent while creating opportunities to extract greater economic value from the country’s platinum resources. He said the platform promotes innovation, entrepreneurship and craftsmanship while connecting local designers with international opportunities and supporting long-term demand for platinum jewellery.

Competition highlights South African craftsmanship

This year’s competition centred on the theme Equilibrium, encouraging designers to explore contrasting ideas such as strength and delicacy, tradition and innovation, and simplicity and complexity. The winning entries showcased platinum’s natural white lustre, durability and strength, demonstrating how the metal can be transformed into distinctive luxury jewellery.

Walter Pienaar of Carat Jewellers won the professional category with Huntress, a neckpiece, while Aimee Bredenkamp and her team from Mark Solomon Jewellers took second place with African Harmony, a pair of earrings.

In the student and apprentice category, Shane Field of Aurum Design claimed first place with Tranquility’s Tear, a neckpiece. Vhutali Shaun Mudau of Cape Peninsula University of Technology finished second with Orbit Connection, a ring, followed by Wesley Fransman of Prins and Prins/Aurum Art, who placed third with Balanced Orbit, a neckpiece. Berlise Groenewald of Rene Honeyman Jewellery secured fourth place with Homeostasis, also a neckpiece.

Mongameli Thafeni of Thuto Jewellery Workshop received the people’s choice award for Manoeuvre, a neckpiece.

Valterra expands its contribution beyond mining

Valterra Platinum’s involvement in PlatAfrica forms part of its contribution to developing South Africa’s platinum beneficiation capabilities.

The Johannesburg Stock Exchange-listed company operates long-life mines, smelts and refined platinum group metals (PGMs), supported by integrated marketing hubs in Shanghai, London and Singapore.

By supporting jewellery design and manufacturing, the company is helping develop a local skills base that can participate in higher-value segments of the platinum industry.

The competition also provides a platform for South African designers to demonstrate their craftsmanship to a wider market, strengthening the connection between the country’s mineral resources, local manufacturing and the international luxury jewellery business.