Meet the serial entrepreneurs making inroads into the global luxury market from a sleepy seaside village.
When South African music superstar Lira sought fine jewellery as unique as her music, she turned to local Cape Town design studio, ANPA, who specialize in hand-crafted fine jewellery designed to complement each client’s unique personality & style. The label is known within its niche market as the go-to brand for one-of a-kind statement pieces that redefine understated elegance and luxury.
In less than a decade, ANPA has evolved into a global player, attracting a loyal following among A-listers and the well-heeled set, including distinguished celebrities, diplomats, business executives and a perennial international tourist base predominantly from Germany, Switzerland, France, the UK and the US.
ANPA is owned and run by entrepreneurs Patrizia Litty & Andreas Betzold, who operate the business from two showrooms in Franschhoek & Kalk Bay respectively. The serial entrepreneurs have also made a name for themselves within the art world through their contemporary gallery, ODA. The large Franschhoek showroom hosts the design studio and displays both jewellery and art, while the Kalk Bay showroom houses the manufacturing workshop.
Self-funded, ANPA was born out of a fascination with gems, design & craftsmanship. Offering the experience of high-street glamour with a modern African twist, Patrizia’s passion and talent for design ensures an unending stream of innovation while Andreas’ engineering skills bring the design flights of fancy to life.
With Africa enjoying increased focus as a rising design hub, ANPA makes a significant contribution to this industry. The brand portfolio encompasses a variety of everyday accessories in luxury and exotic materials, with each design commissioned and handmade from the finest materials selected on regular overseas trips.
Due to the highly-personalised service, Patrizia has unique insight into her customer base, designing jewellery women want to wear; items that they would want to buy for themselves, and that will become an integral part of how they live.
It surprises many to learn that ANPA has never employed a full-time marketing manager, attributing their continued success to referrals and repeat business.
Q&A
What inspires your designs?
Women! I love to be on the floor of boutiques or meeting clients and observing their style, personality, and beauty. They inspire me to create “adornment” for them that will underline and enhance their personality and simply make them shine.
What is your design process?
Once I have an idea, I do an initial sketch to record the overall concept. I spend a significant amount of time on the creative aspect, editing and refining the drawing (up to 10 times) before considering technical details such as measurements and gem size. Depending on the design complexity, we would either complete the process using 3-d software or proceed to the workshop for sample generation. Often the first sample will be altered and adjusted until everything feels perfect. Only then will a piece go into production.
What meaning does jewellery hold for you?
Many people consider jewellery a status symbol that underlines wealth and achievement. For me, the wish to adorn oneself is as old as human kind. It comes from our core and is the ultimate, visual expression of self. Often it is representative of a special occasion or important moment forming part of our life story.
Special moment in the history of the ANPA business?
Our products are created for our clients’ special moments, so every job is a personal and intimate experience. One of our more public highlights was a when singer Lira modelled one of our unique, signature pieces on her album cover.
Most precious piece ever?
My wedding band!!
Most beloved gem?
Personally, I always seek the cooling effect of blue or green gems such as aquamarine or turquoise. We recently sourced an amazing collection of sapphires from Madagascar. Beautiful & unusual shades of blue, green yellow & pink. Tomorrow I might be madly in love with our Ethiopian opals….
What do you wear in daily life?
Less is more. I prefer to focus on one special piece and then add on one or two smaller items to compliment the statement piece. Chunky cuffs and dangling earrings are wonderful in summer. In winter, I prefer oversized rings with bold gems.
What is your advice for wearing jewellery with style?
I believe any adornment should highlight natural features, so I advise selecting gemstones contrasting and complementing individual features such as eye or hair colour. Sets can be great if you’re unsure about how to put different pieces together but the ultimate fun and expression of style is to mix and match different pieces.
