The Africa Gem, Jewellery Exhibition and Conference (AGJEC) aims to showcase the wealth of gemstone occurrence in Africa and to provide a platform to foster value creation, maximisation and intra-African trade opportunities from Africa’s gemstones. AGJEC will focus on Member States’ support for their women miners and traders, and women-led artisanal and small-and-medium-scale enterprises (ASMMEs) and associations will get a platform to show case their gemstones and jewellery in the exhibition pavilion which will create a marketplace for local, regional and international buyers to source directly from the countries of origin. In line with the promotion of responsible sourcing of gemstones and jewellery from Africa, this will be an opportunity for women miners and jewellery entrepreneurs to network with players in the supply chain and learn the dynamics of the trade. It is also expected that through this interaction, the women miners, traders and women-led enterprises in the gemstone and jewellery sector will better appreciate the benefits and opportunities in localized value addition of gemstones.

Alongside the trade fair, AGJEC will also feature a two-day conference that will bring together a range of stakeholders from Member States, large scale gemstone miners, ASMMEs, civil society, investors, various private sector associations, researchers and academia. The conference will cover relevant and topical issues concerning gemstone mining and the supply chain dynamics with the aim to maximise value for ASM producers and producing Member States by linking ASM miners with jewellery production and the entire gemstone value chain. Speakers will be drawn locally, regionally and internationally to provide insights on the diverse topics in the program as well as participate in thought provoking panel discussions to render expert opinions on industry trends to guide policymaking and business.

AGJEC is designed based on the format of existing gemstone and jewellery events on the continent.