Joe Calafato designed and manufactured silver jewellery, flatware and hollowware during the mid to late 20th century in a career spanning 37 years in Pretoria, South Africa. His work made an important contribution to the development of a uniquely South African design domain and has become increasingly sought after at antique and collectible markets.

Of Sicilian parentage, Giuseppe Leonardo Calafato was born on the 10th of July 1912 in the then Lorenço Marques (now Maputo) Mozambique. In the 1920s the family moved to Johannesburg. Here he did his apprenticeship as a manufacturing jeweller under Jack Friedman - a well known local jewellery manufacturer of his time.
From April 1938 until June 1945, Joe worked for the South African Mint in the capacity of Jeweller and Silversmith in the Medal and Badge Department. He was particularly interested in the designing and making of medals.
After the Second World War he resigned in 1947 and ventured into business, first with a number of partners and eventually on his own. He became a prolific designer and employed a number of die sinkers, solderers, enamellists and engravers in his workshops. He sold his business in 1984 and, after a long battle with cancer of the esophagus, the South African 'King of Silver' Joe Calafato died in 1991 at the age of 79