When Nhlanhla Khuzwayo reflects on the beginnings of Ucu Jewellery Creations, he does not speak about profit or market gaps. He speaks about passion ‒ about a love for designing and crafting jewellery that started long before his business had a name.
Khuzwayo, in an interview with Vuk'uzenzele, said his love for designing and manufacturing jewellery began in 2008 when he won a jewellery-making competition. It was not until 2024 during a life-changing experience in China that his dream took shape. At the time, Khuzwayo was completing his National Qualifications Framework Level 4 in Jewellery Design and Manufacturing at the Limpopo Jewellery Business Incubator (LJBI), when an unexpected opportunity arose.
“Because I was a hardworking and dedicated student, my coaches and the Centre Manager at the incubator saw potential in me,” he said.
“That’s how I was selected to be part of a jewellery-making training programme in China.” Sponsored by the Chinese Government, the programme took Khuzwayo and 25 other South Africans to the Hunan Arts & Craft Business Vocational College. There, he was exposed to a different world of jewellery-making.
“Seeing how students there worked‒how focused and motivated they were‒changed everything for me. It made me want to do more, to take what I’d learnt and build something of my own.” He returned home inspired and wasted no time.
“Registering the business was the first thing on my mind. I knew I was ready.”
Ucu Jewellery Creations was officially registered in November 2024, although Khuzwayo had already begun working with clients informally earlier that year. Since then, he’s been steadily building the brand, offering custom-made jewellery pieces‒wedding rings, engagement bands, bracelets, and necklaces‒all crafted with care and attention to detail.
“What sets my designs apart is the dedication I give to the process. I really focus on understanding the fundamentals and making sure the clients get exactly what they want‒and often, even more.”
Beyond custom pieces, Ucu Jewellery Creations also offers services such as repairs, cleaning, and polishing. Khuzwayo sees these offerings as essential to customer satisfaction and brand loyalty. “These additional services help us keep clients coming back. We even offer a free, once-off clean-up for customers who buy from us. That helps us build trust and long-term relationships.”
Balancing quality and affordability
While the brand is still growing, Khuzwayo has made a point of balancing quality and affordability. Ucu Jewellery Creations serves both middle-class and high-end clients‒something he manages through flexibility and open communication.
Currently, the business employs one additional person to assist with bookkeeping and administrative tasks, but growth is on the horizon. “The company is growing fast. We plan to hire more bench workers soon. We’re working on getting a dedicated office and private workshop space at the Limpopo Jewellery Business Incubator. Once that’s ready and fully equipped, we’ll bring in more people to help manage the workload.”
While Ucu Jewellery Creations has yet to receive formal government support or funding‒largely because most programmes require a minimum of 12 months of trading‒Khuzwayo is hopeful about the future. “We’ve only been operating officially for six months, so we haven’t qualified yet. But we’re hoping to get assistance soon to help us buy the equipment we need to produce even higher-quality work and possibly expand into mass production.”
Like many first-time business owners, Khuzwayo has had his share of challenges. Navigating the early stages without much experience in entrepreneurship has been difficult‒but not insurmountable. “This is my first business and not having accurate knowledge about how to run it has been a challenge,” he admits.
“But I’ve been lucky to have people around me who guide me. The Business Development Department at the incubator has been incredibly supportive and I attend workshops regularly to make sure I keep learning.”
Did you know?
The LJBI, is an entity of Small Enterprise Development and Finance Agency.
Fun Fact
As South Africa prepares to host the Group of Twenty (G20) Summit, partnerships with countries such as China indicate global knowledge exchange and skills development. The G20 is an international forum of both developing and developed countries dedicated to resolving global economic and financial issues. South Africa assumed the G20 Presidency on 1 December last year through to November 2025. As G20 members, China and South Africa, share strong diplomatic, trade and development ties.
For more information, call Khuzwayo on +27 78 739 2134 or email him at:
ucujewellery@gmail.com. You can also find the business on Facebook.
For more information about the LJBI, visit www.ljbi.org.za
Address: 5C62 + JQ, Seshego-F, Polokwane, 0742, Tel: 015 293 0214.
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