PRESS ROOM

Far Above RubiesAuthor: Destiny, Aurelia Mbokazi 2009-01-01

FAR ABOVE RUBIES

Jenna Clifford’s name may be synonymous with exquisite jewellery and the finer things in life, but she’s never felt a sense of privilege. In fact, she was 13 before she acquired her first trinket: a 9ct ring she bought from Natal Jewels with pocket money she’d saved up. She also suffered from debilitatingly low self-esteem as a child and was so academically challenged that she doubted whether she’d pass matric.

However, when her former boss Harry Urdang realised her potential and gave her an opportunity to excel, she rolled up her sleeves, got to work – and felt her instinct to succeed kick in. The rest, as they say, is history.

Now one of the most influential businesswomen in South Africa, Clifford inspires people from all walks of life, drawing on her own experience as vindication of her belief that mentoring a person is the first step to success. Ultimately, she envisages a world with no poverty, where everyone has access to good education. With this winning formula – and her desire to create a chain of giving – she’s achieved remarkable things, and was recently appointed as the United Nations SA Ambassadress and torchbearer for the Millennium Development Goals 3: Call to Action Global Campaign. The campaign, for which she works alongside Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and the Soweto Gospel Choir, draws attention to the empowerment of women and gender equality.

Clifford’s appointment is a continuation of what she’s been doing for decades and she doesn’t feel overwhelmed by its magnitude. Instead, she’s assumed the role as stylishly and earnestly as all her other ones: a philanthropist who runs the Dream Big Foundation, a businesswoman and, most importantly, a wife and mother.

Her success in these roles is helped in large measure by her natural charisma. When she walks into a room, she immediately commands attention and soon has everyone laughing at her wry jokes. Moreover, her warmth, energy and bubbly personality – as well as her propensity for bursting into song – make her a natural drawcard in any company. She’s fond of quoting her grandmother, who had a huge influence in her life, as have many other individuals, whose pictures adorn her office walls, along with inspiring quotations, such as “My intuition is powerful - I should listen to it” and “Nothing is by chance, everything is a lesson for me to learn”. Yet, for all these role models, Clifford is indubitably her own woman – and a formidable one, at that.
 

In 2009, she’ll have a milestone to celebrate, turning 50 – an age that clearly excites her. Over the years, she’s come to understand and appreciate herself. She’s also become adept at learning from challenges, and no longer deplores her failures and imperfections. At this point in her life, she says, she no longer sweats the small stuff: she knows what her strengths and weaknesses are and no longer attempts
to change things over which she has no control: “The fine lines on my face, for example,” she laughs.

Clifford’s career in jewellery began when she was 19 and worked as a receptionist and tea-maker. She credits her humble beginnings for allowing her to see the best and worst sides of the industry. “I was never good as a jeweller – my strength was in design,” she says. “When I was on the factory floor, I made my first piece of jewellery, a Mabé pearl on a flat sheet of gold. It was very beautiful, but I don’t have it any more.”
 

Nowadays, she designs spectacular pieces for celebrities and statesmen such as singer Celine Dion and former SA President Thabo Mbeki.

“Children growing up in a patriarchal home often aren’t celebrated. I’ve grown more comfortable in myself as I’ve aged,” says Clifford. “I’ve seen beauty in people who others perceive as aesthetically disadvantaged, and I’ve learnt that greatness isn’t born out of physicality. As a little girl, when I didn’t know my times tables, I was whacked on my legs – and that affected me deeply. Now I know that only love can set people free.

“My own two daughters are aged seven and 14, and I constantly affirm them. I tell them they’re geniuses, princesses, rock stars, that they’re gorgeous and – above all – that they’re creations of God. If we can do that for our children and constantly encourage them through life, this world would be a better place and kids would grow up to be confident, whole adults who contribute positively to society,” she adds.

Beyond her home life, Clifford’s business acumen has been widely acclaimed, as have her efforts to help pave the way for those coming after her. She made it to the final round in the Emerging category of the Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur Programme. She orchestrated the successful amalgamation of three  women’s business organisations – the Executive Women’s Club, ProWaldo (a black women’s business forum) and the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) – to form the prestigious SA Businesswomen’s Association.

“The negation of women’s rights and education has set us back a long way,” says Clifford. “South Africa has abominable statistics of violence against women and child abuse, and it’s my intention to influence the mindsets of [both victims and abusers]. We need to use our money to back companies that are gender-friendly and sustainable. That’s how can move forward as a country.”

Although her business life is based in Johannesburg, where three of her stores are located – plus another one in Pretoria – Clifford lives in White River, Mpumalanga and commutes by helicopter, piloted by her husband Dex. The decision to relocate her home was guided by her desire to give her daughters a safe, grounded environment, away from the city lights and its fast-paced life. She’s a home-body at heart, she says, and loves nothing better than cooking meals for her family, reading and enjoying nature.

Wealth, she believes, has no part to play in her definition of success. “We never own anything material,” she says. “Whatever we have comes through us, not to us, and we have a duty to share it with others. ‘Dust to dust’ is our journey. You become arrogant once you believe that you own something.”