The Jewels of Africa

Nungu Diamonds is helping to decolonize African luxury by putting the continent first, where it belongs.

- JASON ALEXANDER BASSON

What does it mean to be proudly African in today’s fashion and luxury goods industry? What does it take? Trends used to be dictated by the West, even when those narratives referenced our continent. Today, we have a stronger sense of pride in our industry than ever before, yet foreign labels and luxury imports are still considered more aspirational or carry more weight – especially in terms of monetary value – despite the fact many of the raw materials used in the fabrication process come from Africa. How do we change this mindset and empower our continent?

To answer this question, we spoke to Kealeboga Pule, who’s the founder and managing director of Nungu Diamonds, a proudly South African, black-owned business that’s flipping the script on the bespoke jewellery and diamond trade.

How did ‘Nungu’ (Swahili for porcupine) become the brand’s moniker?

The porcupine is resilient, agile and able to defend itself against ‘the kings of the wild’. It’s distinctly African and embodies the spirit of Nungu Diamonds and the people behind it. Founding a first-generation, black-owned diamond business has had its fair share of challenges, which we’ve met with a will to survive and an unwavering belief in our ability to build an impactful brand that tells a new story about diamonds.

What is that story?