African Romance
Corporate and Brand PR: Chatroom launched African Romance, South Africa’s first luxury diamond brand with a media conference and extensive media communication.
Action Steps
- African Romance was launched to business and trade media at a press conference at the client’s showroom in Sandton/Johannesburg. After speeches from guest speaker Sandile Nogxina, the Director General of the Department of Minerals and Energy; and African Romance CEO Moesheen Valli Moosa, media went on a factory tour. At the Gala event with Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngquka as an honorary speaker and MC Basetsana Khumalo, the brand was launched to decision makers in fashion, business, government as well as lifestyle media.
- In a second launch phase in 2008, the African Romance range was be launched to South Africa’s fashion magazines.
- Chatroom was responsible for all media relations, organisation of the media conference, media invitations, media packs, RSVPs, follow-ups and ongoing media liaison.
Outcome
- Coverage received included Business Day, Business Report (front page), Reuters Press & TV, Sake Burger, Sunday Times, Mining Weekly (Cover page) and more.
African Romance™ launches avant garde jewellery designs
African Romance™, South Africa’s luxurious diamond manufacturing company, has launched its first fashionable jewellery design - the Embrace Collection.
The Embrace collection features a range of diamond rings that reflect the ultimate expression of love – the embrace. Just as lovers entwine, so too do these designs, where a large central diamond is embraced by several smaller diamonds.
“The African Romance™ designs encapsulate the love, spirit, earth and heritage of the African continent and we are committed to crafting exquisite jewellery that will enhance the beauty of your diamond and delight you with the astonishing perfection of its setting and style. Every piece is a repository of investment value and elegance. This also positions us as a leading global luxury brand originating from Africa” says Mohseen Valli Moosa, African Romance CEO.
African Romance™ diamonds are of excellent cut and clarity, and further enhance the jewellery designs into definitive collections. The Embrace Collection captures the essence of a love that is deep and reflective – ideal for an engagement ring or wedding anniversary gift.
The charming and elegant African Romance™ boutique is in the heart of Sandton, the most sophisticated shopping destination on the African continent, Sandton.
At African Romance™ you will find the mysterious spirit of Africa, first world sophistication and breathtaking quality diamonds and jewellery – all in one. It’s a completely unique African experience, a real African experience.
For more information about African RomanceTM please visit www.africanromance.com
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For further press information please contact:
ChatROOM media and design
Zukiswa Nomnganga
T: 021 – 422 2806
E: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
African Romance™– a South African polished diamond South African diamond manufacturer celebrates its launch
Diamonds should not only be a girl’s best friend, but Africa’s best friend, too.
That was a notion expressed by Deputy President of the RSA, Hon. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka while she presented photographs of Africa’s fantastic culture during her keynote address at the launch of African Romance. African Romance is South Africa’s first fully black-owned high-end diamond brand, set out to source and beneficiate diamonds on a large scale.
Johannesburg’s glitterati stepped out in numbers to celebrate with CEO of African Romance Mohseen Valli Moosa.
“We have created a model that proves that Africans can do it,” said Moosa, adding that according to the latest available statistics, South Africa produced 12 million carats of rough diamonds in 2005, but polished only 1 percent.
“There is a gaping hole internationally for African diamond designs,” Moosa said. “There is no African luxury brand on the international level of Cartier...that’s the gap African Romance is looking to fill.
“We believe the diamond-buying world is ready for an injection of the African spirit and mystery in their stones. We are aiming at international wholesalers, tourists and celebrities. We would love celebrities such as Charlize Theron to wear our branded diamonds.”
Even though the company has only just opened its doors, Moosa is already well on his way to creating just such a brand awareness, with local celebrities, politicians and a veritable who’s who of the business world attending the glitzy launch held at the company’s Sandton offices on Thursday evening.
With the exquisite Basetsana Kumalo hosting the event, there was no shortage of beauty on show, while award-winning fashion designer David Tlale was the belle of the ball, holding court with friends and admirers between being mobbed by photographers desperate for a piece of Tlale style.
Other well-known names and faces spotted doing some early Christmas shopping while on a tour of the African Romance facilities included former Miss South Africa Amy Curd-Kleinhans, CEO of Peotona Cheryl Carolous, CEO of the IMC Yvonne Johnston, Senior Partner of Edward Nathans Michael Katz, new CEO of Anglo Gold Mark Cutifani, Koos Rademeyer of the Harry Oppenheimer Diamond Training School, President of Etruscan Diamonds Kevin MacNeill, Deputy Minister of Correctional Services Loretta Jacobus, CEO of Catwalk the World Matthew Mensahr and the CEO’s brother, former Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism and current Eskom Chairman, Mohammed Valli Moosa.
At African Romance™ you will find the mysterious spirit of Africa, first world sophistication and breathtaking quality diamonds – all in one. It’s a completely unique African experience, a real African experience.
For more information about African RomanceTM please visit www.africanromance.com
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For further press information please contact:
ChatROOM media and design
Zukiswa Nomnganga
T: 021 – 422 2806
E: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
South African diamond manufacturer African RomanceTM sets global benchmark
In what constitutes an African diamond manufacturing first, wholly black-owned South African company African RomanceTM is celebrating homegrown talent with the announcement of its commitment to marking, laser cutting, polishing and trading diamonds at the leading edge of global competitiveness.
Sourcing and beneficiating diamonds in South Africa, African RomanceTM subscribes to an unprecedented and comprehensive triple-bottom-line beneficiation model, to the protection of South Africa’s natural resources, value adding exported raw minerals and the future downstream absorption of jobs created in the mining sector due to depletion of resources.
The pioneering African RomanceTM ‘finger printing’ barcode inscription system, which allows for the tracking of every single diamond from its origination to its manufacture, ensures an ethically and environmentally sustainable diamond value chain. The topic of conflict diamonds – the so-called ‘blood diamonds’ – is never far from discussions around the diamond sector. African RomanceTM complies with the Kimberley Process through preventing the trade in conflict diamonds and using state-of-the-art technologies to meaningfully support legitimate rough and polished diamond trade.
What is more, the certification of every diamond is completed by internationally renowned certification laboratories to ensure total consumer confidence. African Romance™ diamonds are some of the best cut 100% natural and untreated stones in the world.
In the words of CEO Mohseen Valli Moosa: “There is no African luxury brand on the international level of Cartier, a brand that would provide unique African values and style – that’s the space African Romance™ now has taken. A fitting comparison to note is that 95% of diamonds that have been sent to the independent certification laboratories, such
as the European Gemological Laboratory or the Gemological Institute of America for certification, have been graded as “excellent” cut grade diamonds.”
Effectively rendering it the most sophisticated diamond business on the African continent and in the international arena, African RomanceTM employs some of the world’s foremost technology in the form of state-of-the-art cutting and bruting laser machines. With the usage of highly advanced planning and 3D modelling computer programmes, African Romance™ achieves the best cut, optimum brilliance and absolute maximum investment value of any diamond handled.
With the decision to showcase the local diamond industry through the company’s strategically positioned luxurious Sandton, Johannesburg premises, African RomanceTM is leading the way once more. It is here that trade and visitors rub shoulders. The company presents national and international wholesalers, luxury clientele and tourists with a 5-star platform from which to purchase diamonds and celebrate exquisitely crafted jewellery.
The wholly black-owned company notches up an impressive 94% in terms of its black staff equity component. The African RomanceTM brand is operated by WakeGem which forms one of the three divisions of BEE investment company WakeHold.
Of noteworthy significance is that never before has a South African diamond business gathered a pool of staff with professional skills and several decades of diamond manufacturing experience, totalling 622 years of expert know-how. Thys Lehman, Operations Manager Diamond Polishing, on his own, already has 53 years of experience as a fancy cross worker, of which he worked 30 years as a production manager. African RomanceTM also aims to substantially contribute to South Africa’s economic growth and the creation of job opportunities for previously disadvantaged individuals, with the inclusion of grassroots development programmes in South Africa’s mining communities, while also subscribing to environmentally conscious best practise.
Says Advocate Sandile Nogxina, Director General of the Department of Minerals and Energy: “African Romance™ has made us proud with the visionary way in which they have taken on the beneficiation of raw minerals. They are providing a leading model and we call on the industry to take note and follow on this.
African Romance has already developed considerable skills in laser technologies and 3D modeling, and we have commitment from the company that it will continue to implement training programmes for its workers alongside the Sector Education Training Authority and the Mining Qualifications Authority.”
The Department of Minerals and Energy Affairs has embarked on a broad based roll-out of skills development programmes for the mining and minerals sector.
Nogxina adds: “It supports the establishment of South African companies, especially BEE companies that contribute to the growth of the value share that the South African economy takes in the global diamond sourcing and beneficiating market. African RomanceTM is spearheading this development.”
At African Romance™ you will find the mysterious spirit of Africa, first world sophistication and breathtaking quality diamonds – all in one. It’s a completely unique African experience, a real African experience.
For more information about African RomanceTM please visit www.africanromance.com
/ends
For further press information please contact:
ChatROOM media and design
Zukiswa Nomnganga
T: 021 – 422 2806
E: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
African Romance
Corporate and Brand PR: Chatroom launched African Romance, South Africa’s first luxury diamond brand with a media conference and extensive media communication.
Action Steps
- African Romance was launched to business and trade media at a press conference at the client’s showroom in Sandton/Johannesburg. After speeches from guest speaker Sandile Nogxina, the Director General of the Department of Minerals and Energy; and African Romance CEO Moesheen Valli Moosa, media went on a factory tour. At the Gala event with Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngquka as an honorary speaker and MC Basetsana Khumalo, the brand was launched to decision makers in fashion, business, government as well as lifestyle media.
- In a second launch phase in 2008, the African Romance range was be launched to South Africa’s fashion magazines.
- Chatroom was responsible for all media relations, organisation of the media conference, media invitations, media packs, RSVPs, follow-ups and ongoing media liaison.
Outcome
- Coverage received included Business Day, Business Report (front page), Reuters Press & TV, Sake Burger, Sunday Times, Mining Weekly (Cover page) and more.