JNA Awards 2020 - Jewellery Industry Best Practices

JNA AWARDS • 2020 73 In South Africa, such faith has inspired the company to partner with the State Diamond Trader for its Entrepreneur Development Programme (EDP). This was done to train the region’s youth and equip them with skills that will serve as their ticket to the diamond industry. To date, over 1,000 personnel benefitted from EDP, as well as from other in-factory training initiatives. In an effort to empower and train its staff for larger roles, KGK Diamonds SA established a “Factory in Factory” system within its diamond wing. Here, a dedicated team is tasked to provide end-to-end manufacturing solutions for the goods they produce, extending all the way down to profit and loss management. The same can be seen in Russia, where the company has teamed up with the College of Entrepreneurship No. 11 in Moscow to provide comprehensive diamond training to graduates who are seeking to join the diamond industry. This JNA Awards Honouree also invested in providing a safe and modern workplace for its people, resulting, not just in zero incidents within its factories, but high employee retention rates. Innovative spirit KGK Diamonds SA is introducing new systems to its operations to bolster productivity without harming the environment. Recently, the company adopted the “Just in Time” (JIT) technique for more efficient resource-management. Aside from cutting down on costs, this also paved the way for minimising the environmental impact of its facilities. Its diamond factory in Botswana has been regarded as virtually carbon-free after it had successfully reduced gas emissions. This diamond manufacturer also breaks new ground with its expansion. Other than being one of the largest manufacturers of diamonds in South Africa, it became the first to venture into Angola. To further broaden its range of services, the company even crossed the Atlantic and bought major stakes in the New York-based Unique Settings. Guided by the KGK Group’s tenets of excellence, transparency and social responsibility, KGK Diamonds SA remains steadfast in its mission, even in the face of COVID-19. “The pandemic has elicited a global response unlike anything we’ve seen before. Apart from business challenges, it has surely highlighted the significance of putting our health first. We are adopting new-age and digital avenues to ensure that our operations continue in a safe and sustainable way,” says Kothari. 1. An employee inspects a diamond during the polishing process 2. A worker takes a closer look at the diamond he is polishing 3. From left: Sandeep Kothari, Managing Director of KGK Group, and Sanjay Kothari, Vice Chairman of KGK Group 4. Diamond laser sawing system 5. Diamond polishing in progress 2 3 4 5