What's on offer?

SPI assists start-ups and small businesses oversome barriers to entry in the PGM jewellery making sector. The variety of services we offer are designed to make it possible to jumpstart a career in jewellery manufacturing. Through the SPI programme, you can build your business from basics to boom within the three years of incubation.

The basics to get you started are:

Access to Machinery

We have state of the art equipment necessary to manufacture jewellery. This is too costly for an individual or a small start up business to afford.

Tenant enterprises and training centre students have access to this machinery, as well as the centre infrastructure, equipment and facilities in order to undertake complex tasks and deliver quality orders to clients on time. 

Platinum Loan

Platinum is the single largest cost for manufacturing jewelers. This makes it hard for small enterprises to have a consistent supply to meet urgent orders. The SPI assists tenants to borrow PGM metals to fulfill their orders.

A Training Centre

To help interested individuals acquire the skills required for jewellery manufacturing, the SPI has teamed up with Orbit FET College. The College teaches a National Certificate in Jewellery Manufacturing in a mass production environment. This certificate is an accredited NQF Level 3 certificate. The course syllabus is based on jewellery industry-related projects. In addition, students have the opportunity to tutored and advised by experienced mentors in the trade while involved in learnerships organised by the SPI with local manufacturers and tenants in the centre.

Organised Interactions

Because we have strong links with the South African jewellery manufacturing industry, we are able to call on experienced advisors to assist tenants and share information on what works and doesn't in the jewellery manufacturing industry. These interactions are helpful for start-up businesses and provide beneficial information to grow the business.

Marketing of Tenant products

The centre is able to assist tenants reach their clients and to distribute platinum jewellery in and around South Africa. In addition to local markets, the SPI helps tenants with information and support to take part in international trade and industry shows that opens opportunities for tenant to sell their products internationally and form distribution networks in other countries.

Opportunities

There are many opportunities available for jewellery designers today. One can work in any of the following sectors:

  • Jewellery designing house  
  • Export house. If one joins an export house, their new designs could be seen in the international market.
  • Fashion house. 
  • Your own business. The SPI makes starting your own business for most students an achievable dream. After completing training, students can set up a production house and sell their products under their own brand name. See Kick Start Your Business for more information.
  • Freelance designing. As a freelance designer, you will be responsible for creating a design according to the specifications of the jewellers' house and may supervise the manufacturing of the jewellery by the craftsman of the jewellery house.
  • Teaching jewellery design at a training institution.

Tenants Benefits

Reduced set-up capital and start-up costs

The SPI makes sure that all the equipment required to manufacture jewellery is available to tenants to help them produce high quality products on time. Because tenants do not need a lot of money to set up and run their businesses, they are able to grow their businesses in a short period of time while they are part of the incubator.

Better security

Security is very important when dealing with precious and expensive materials such as palladium and platinum. Because the tenant businesses and the incubator centre are housed in one location, they benefit from the high security at affordable prices the entire facility as these costs are shared.

Guaranteed world-class quality

Because the SPI offers the right equipment combined with correct training and mentorship, the quality of work produced is of world-class standards.

Combined efforts for manufacturing and marketing

The clustering together of similar and complimentary enterprises allow small enterprises to reduce costs, improve security and develop ways for manufacturing and marketing their products with greater results through combined and shared use of the scarce limited financial and other resources.