Handmade Jewellery for African Queens by Afrikanaaccesories_zw

Bellariz Matikinye is a proud mother of 4 and the person behind Afrikanaaccesories_zw. She refers to herself as a ‘craft-prenuer’ and is a lover of all things arts and craft. The easy-going Bella is always keen to try out new things especially art that is of African origin. She loves her continent and country and she tries her hardest not to be judgmental.  She is a Christian and tries to instill The Word in her kids. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management and strongly feels she should have done an art oriented degree.

What inspired you to start Afrikana?

Afrikana was inspired by the limitless possibilities to bring to life beautiful art pieces in the form of African inspired jewellery (the rich cultural histories, vibrant color schemes and mesmerizing skill and craftmanship displayed by my brothers and sisters in our industry just blew me away and l was like…l want to be, no l need to be an artist.

What do you love most about your craft?

What l love most about my craft is that nothing is set in stone (there are no set rules about how far you can or cannot go in terms of creativity)
I literally go to bed excited at what my imagination is about to conjure up… there are times when l just do a dance of joy in the midnight hour because of a crazy idea that would have crossed my mind.
With my craft there are no thresholds, that’s why l love it so much.
My craft allows me to escape reality and see life from different angles (most of them positive l must say).
I also love the very different reactions to my artwork. Some people truly are mind blown, and others are shocked beyond words, especially if they cannot comprehend the concept of the art piece.

What can prospective clients expect from Afrikana?

Prospective clients can and should except extraordinary pieces made from ordinary and seemingly unexciting raw materials..
They should also expect jewellery that is made with love and attention to detail, l’m not a fan of mediocrity so at Afrikanaacesories_zw our workmanship steers as far away as possible from mediocre .
Afrikanaacessories_zw is all about excellence and innovation, l’m constantly exploring new concepts and combinations of materials the aim being to make as many one of a kind pieces as possible.

What advice do you have for young aspiring fashionistas?

To all the young aspiring fashionistas l would say, “Go for it…whatever your dream or vision is, pursue it -be your own cheerleader if no-one else will cheer you on.”
Believe in your dream, believe in your capabilities, teach yourself to love the process (the exhilarating mountain tops and the dark dreary valleys) then envision the beautiful end result, don’t listen to negative people in fact steer clear of negative people and their dream killing talk which only fuels negative and toxic thoughts.
Trust your Creator and the destiny He created you for. Talk to Him about your fears, your expectations, tell him what you would never feel secure to tell other people for fear of judgment. God hears and answers prayers.
Lastly l would tell the young fashionistas that its NEVER too late to pursue your dream, I am turning 42 in September and here l am pursuing my passion and dream, l honestly love what l do with all my heart, so GO FOR IT!
Money is not everything… however it opens doors to opportunities and it allows you to pursue your life aspirations, LOL remember the LOVE of money is the root of all evil.
Media in its various forms is a powerful tool, use it wisely, it can make or break you- especially social media, let it be a means of introducing your product/s to the world and growing your brand.

What’s the one piece of advice you would like to leave with our readers?

Don’t ever give up! Be tenacious in the pursuit of your dream..it won’t to be easy but then again few things in life are. Whenever you feel like you can’t go on, remember this:
In it’s first year of production Coca-Cola sold only 26 bottles. I repeat, in 365 days they sold 26 bottles but look at the brand now.
So don’t give up, if you fail get up and TRY again, if you fail again, repeat the process – fail going forward, always!!!

We deliver all over Zimbabwe
Contact: +263 775999307
Inquiries: @afrikanaaccesories_zw