Rand Refinery, the only LBMA refinery on the African Continent and one of the world’s leading gold and silver refiners, is proud to reaffirm its commitment to inclusive growth and enterprise development in the local jewellery sector. As the Silver and Gold Mentorship Programme enters its fourth year, it continues to evolve into a more focused and impactful initiative. Following the successful introduction of gold into the programme in 2024, this year marks a strategic shift to spotlighting the top-performing alumni.
From May 2025, the programme will transition to an advanced development stream for 14 standout graduates, deepening support for scalable, high-potential jewellery businesses.
Operated in partnership with the Ekurhuleni Jewellery Project (EJP), NQ Jewellers, and the South African Diamond and Precious Metals Regulator (SADPMR), the mentorship programme offers aspiring jewellers technical incubation, business development support, and direct market access through The Jewellery Village retail outlet at Montecasino and other platforms, including select lodges in the Kruger National Park.
Since its inception, the programme has trained over 55 SMMEs, offering a rare blend of financial support, skills development, personal coaching, and commercial exposure. Unlike many other industry initiatives, Rand Refinery’s model allows candidates to retain full ownership of their designs and products. Each participant also receives access to tools and workspaces, as well as an interest-free loan of precious metals, traditionally 1kg of silver. In 2024, a major enhancement was introduced: the integration of gold into the programme, with 947 grams of gold, currently valued at approximately R1 775 000 loaned to the initiative.
“By providing both silver and now gold on interest-free terms and supporting these entrepreneurs through market access and business skills training, we are nurturing a new generation of jewellers equipped to scale their businesses sustainably,” said Praveen Baijnath, CEO of Rand Refinery and Chairman of EJP.
The 2024 graduation ceremony marks a milestone (14 graduates – 9 junior ED graduates and 5 senior ED graduates). From May 2025, the programme will shift gears by selecting the top 10 performing alumni for an advanced development stream for a period of 24 months, offering deeper support through working capital investment for high-potential entrepreneurs ready to grow beyond micro-enterprise levels.
In line with this evolution, Rand Refinery has also extended its Supplier Development efforts through significant infrastructure investment at EJP’s Germiston campus. Phase 1, which included renovations and new equipment, is now complete, with Phase 2 in the pipeline to further elevate training and post-incubation production capabilities.
Our social impact as a company has been delivered partly through our Young Talent Development Programmes, which include a skills development initiative for learners living with disabilities from Gauteng, particularly in Ekurhuleni. We launched the Jewellery Design and Manufacturing Learnership in 2019 and executed the programme in partnership with the Intsika Beneficiation Projects. The learners enrolled on the learnership starts at NQF L2 and progress to NQF L4. In 2024, we further partnered with the Ekurhuleni Jewellery Projects (EJP) to develop more learners living with disabilities who now form part of the talent pipeline and stand a chance for enrolment into the i Silver and Gold Mentorship Programme upon completion of the NQF L4 learnership.
Over the past six years, we have had 129 learners who have successfully completed the learnership. Since the programme’s inception, the company has spent over R7 million on the development of learners living with disabilities. The cost is inclusive of the training cost, learner stipends which we pay directly to the learners, toolbox and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
“As we deepen our impact, our focus remains on empowering individuals, transforming small businesses into scalable ventures, and contributing meaningfully to our communities,” Baijnath concluded.
