Isabella Kobela and her daughter Meiki Ngcengeni are taking the jewellery industry by storm.
The two are the brains behind Isabella Jewellers and Refiners in Germiston on the East Rand.
Kobela is the designer while Ngcengeni takes care of the business finances.
The business was started by Kobela who was trained in goldsmithing and rough diamond evaluation.
“I started the company in 2008, and it was not easy at all. There was lots of hard work and the early days were tough. I struggled to get the necessary licence and the machines. So, I started recycling my own materials, like filings, sweepings and offcuts, so I could start reusing the material to manufacture new jewellery pieces,” Kobela said.
She said Ngcengeni, who has a degree in transport and supply chain management, joined her in 2012.
“She always spent most of her weekends at the factory. She would help in compiling business plans and learning every facet of the industry,” she said.
Ngcengeni said one of her interests was compliance, which was really important in the industry she and her mother were working in.
“You need to have specific licences for every aspect of your operations. It feels like a full-time job just staying on top of compliance sometimes. However, jewellery manufacturing is such an interesting job,” Ngcengeni said.
She said the industry was mostly male-dominated when she started but more women were now showing an interest in it.
“There are a lot of opportunities for young women in the beneficiation industry. The problem is there’s not much awareness out there about the industry and what it offers and we’d like to change that,” Ngcengeni said.
The women said they were also affected by the pandemic as many customers had postponed weddings and put big-ticket purchases on the back burner.
Kobela said she wanted to leave a footprint and a legacy for generations to come.
“People must not be afraid to start something. This business was born out of curiosity. We wanted to share our creativity with the world and be the company that offers something to all. We want to be conscious and sustainable. We want to inspire the next generation. If we do that, then we will have been successful.” Kobela said.
The mother and daughter have six employees.
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