PlatAfrica has announced the 2026 winners of the jewellery design and manufacturing competition. Supported by Valterra Platinum, in partnership with Metal Concentrators and Platinum Guild International (PGI), PlatAfrica celebrates the exceptional creativity, craftsmanship and innovation of South Africa’s emerging and established jewellery designers.
Now in its 27th year, PlatAfrica continues to serve as a premier platform for local talent, encouraging designers to push the boundaries of platinum jewellery design, while supporting skills development, entrepreneurship and the growth of South Africa’s jewellery manufacturing industry.
Craig Miller, CEO of Valterra Platinum, said, “PlatAfrica showcases the extraordinary depth of South African design and manufacturing talent while demonstrating the opportunity to create greater value from one of our country’s most important natural resources, platinum. Through this platform, we celebrate innovation, entrepreneurship and craftsmanship, while connecting local designers with global opportunities and supporting the long-term growth of platinum jewellery demand.”
Jewellery remains an important demand segment for platinum, supporting thousands of jobs across a value chain that spans mining and refining to jewellery design, manufacturing, and retail. Through its support of PlatAfrica, Valterra Platinum is contributing to local beneficiation by developing industry-relevant skills, fostering innovation and creating prospects for South African talent to access global markets. The competition provides participants with the opportunity to develop their technical skills, work directly with platinum and gain exposure to industry stakeholders. By supporting jewellery design and manufacturing capabilities, PlatAfrica contributes to the growth of South Africa’s jewellery sector while helping unlock greater value from the country’s platinum resources.
The 2026 competition challenged designers to interpret the theme, “Equilibrium”, exploring the relationship between contrasting elements such as strength and delicacy, tradition and innovation, and simplicity and complexity. The winning creations demonstrate both the versatility of platinum and the ability of the designers to transform creative concepts into distinctive, finely crafted pieces of jewellery.
This year’s winning designs demonstrate platinum’s natural white lustre, while its durability and strength provide designers with the freedom to push creative boundaries and craft jewellery of enduring beauty and value.
The 2026 winners are:
Professional category:
1st place: Walter Pienaar from Carat Jewellers with a neckpiece titled Huntress
2nd place: Aimee Bredenkamp & Team from Mark Solomon Jewellers with earrings titled African Harmony
3rd place: Nihal Shah from Vijay Shah Concepts with a ring titled Convergence
4th place: Samantha Vincent & Songezo Baleni from Durban University of Technology with a neckpiece titled Confluence
Student and apprentice category:
1st place: Shane Field from Aurum Design with a neckpiece titled Tranquility’s Tear
2nd place: Vhutali Shaun Mudau from Cape Peninsula University of Technology with a ring titled Orbit Connection
3rd place: Wesley Fransman from Prins and Prins / Aurum Art with a neckpiece titled Balanced Orbit
4th place: Berlize Groenewald from Rene Honeyman Jewellery with a neckpiece titled Homeostasis
People’s Choice winner:
Mongameli Thafeni from Thuto Jewellery Workshop with a neckpiece titled Manoeuvre
For Valterra Platinum, PlatAfrica remains an important investment in South Africa’s jewellery industry, helping to develop future design and manufacturing talent, strengthen local capabilities and showcase the innovation and craftsmanship that position South African jewellery on the global stage.