There’s a new kid on the marketing block, on a mission to provide a vital space for the local jewellery trade. Jewellery Afrika is an integrated content-driven hub, created to afford African and African-inspired jewellery brands opportunities for exposure and sales, on the continent and beyond.
Founder Jason Aarons says that, to the best of his knowledge, it is the only one of its kind with a singular focus on “…raising the profiles of an incredible heartland of existing and up-and-coming African jewellery designers, their storyboards, their energy and their products. Literally from Cape to Cairo!”
Launched during the second quarter of 2023, the online platform’s reach has exploded. Measured in supporters, social media followers, website and newsletter interactions, the statistics are readily available on request, and generated from the Meta Business Suite’s official Facebook and Instagram Insights tools; as well as Jewellery Afrika’s website analytics, mass mail client and SEO reports. Jason believes it’s vital that jewellers and their campaign managers make informed decisions about the ROI of the platforms they’re investing their ad-spend with.
Jason has a long history in the industry, making him a passionate advocate for our homegrown talent, and aware of the challenges that creatives face. His previous titles include Founding Editor-in-Chief of JZA, Publishing Director of SA Jewellery News, Editorial Director of African Odyssey, conceptual team member for Jewellex Today! and writer for JZA, Style and Millionaire Lifestyle Magazine. He was also Editor-in-Chief of Nedbank’s Dezign Cuts in the early 2000s – the first and only publication aimed exclusively at 18–24-year-olds in the jewellery and diamond sector.
He has also represented SA Jewellery News at international jewellery and watch shows, served as a past member of the Jewellex International organising committee, and together with his alliance partner the CoNNect Agency in the UK, was instrumental in establishing a 3-month mentorship programme for a South African jewellery designer.
Jason believes that versatility and adaptability to each advertiser’s needs and budget is the way of the future. Jewellery Afrika tailor-makes each client’s package – a more effective approach that utilises tools that many jewellers may not have considered, and which reaches their ideal clients through targeted campaigns.
Those interested in making use of Jewellery Afrika have a host of offerings to select from, including:
- Social media campaigns
- Advertising in the newsletter
- WhatsApp business platform
- Brand curation services
- Press and media services
- Promotional, marketing and POS materials as well as Corporate ID collateral
- Jewellery show representation
Also in the pipeline is an online shop, and a network of international journalists and alliance partners is presently being developed. The monthly newsletter already has a global reach and is an integral part of driving audiences to Jewellery Afrika’s online platforms.
The team understands digital. Their website has been engineered to load almost instantly, and currently is able to achieve up to 70% more session engagement than most websites in South Africa, due to it’s efficiency and ease of use. Their SEO and promotional efforts have hit the target. Stats reveal that the top 10 viewing countries, and 8 out of the top 10 cities, are within Africa. Their new visitor rate to the website is 93%, mainly driven by social media and their complimentary marketing and promotional efforts, and they are currently engaging in discussions for potential global partnerships.
Most crucially, they are curating a community of people who absolutely love the jewellery industry and who are keen to develop and grow it together. Their hashtag #togetherinjewellery epitomises the way they work, share knowledge, collaborate, create opportunities and provide a forum for designers across the spectrum to find their voice and to communicate effectively and proactively with global consumers and counterparts.
All marketing and advertising enquiries, collaborations and digital media editorial partnerships may be directed to Jason at jason@jewelleryafrika.com or call/WhatsApp +27 (0)74 4006677.
Find out more, and subscribe to their free monthly newsletter at www.jewelleryafrika.com
Connect with Jewellery Afrika on:
www.facebook.com/jewelleryafrika7
www.instagram.com/jewelleryafrika
www.linkedin.com/company/jewelleryafrika
