Jua

I am Palesa Khobane and was born in Soweto and grew up in Johannesburg and abroad. I have a degree in Child and Family Psychology. I come from a family that is very matriarchal, both on my maternal and paternal sides. I believe having grown up seeing the women in my family, fending for themselves, being very strong and independent has etched a strong sense of independence within myself as well as self-reliance.

Jua means the ‘sun’ and ‘to know’ in Swahili. My daughter’s name is Letsatsi and like her name brings so much warm and happiness to all the meets. It is my hope that my work too brings happiness to all that choose to adorn themselves with Jua Accessories. I hope that it brings out the confidence in the buyer. If she was feeling down, the vibrate colours bring a feeling of happiness: another chance to conquer the day or the next obstacle. As the pieces command attention…

I am inspired by everything. The direction of the brand strays from the conventional jewellery available on the market now. It has a blend of African inspired prints combined with earthy metals and beads. Colour is also a very important factor when designing the pieces and everyone will notice the juxtaposition of colours which have been incorporated into the different pieces.

The Jua lady is sassy, she is assertive, she is composed. Whether she is dressed down/casual or dressed to impress, each piece allows her to be the various kinds of ‘Sheroes’ she chooses to be at any given time.