- Hloniphile Matomane started cutting hair in 2017 to help his parents while still at school in Caguba village, Port St Johns.
- Despite his Level 4 in Finance, Matomane found no job and still cuts hair to pay for groceries and electricity.
Hloniphile Matomane started cutting hair in Caguba village, Port St Johns, in 2017. He was still in high school and needed money to help his parents with what school required.
He charged R20 for a haircut and R15 for a chiskop then. Today he charges R30 for a haircut and R20 for a chiskop. He keeps his prices low because people in rural areas don’t have money and he does not want to lose customers.
Matomane continued cutting hair through college. He has a Level 4 in Finance and hoped the qualification would help him find a job. It did not.
“The plan was to stop after completing my qualification, but I haven’t found a job,” he said.
He said cutting hair keeps him busy and stops him from thinking too much about not having a job. He still hopes to find work one day. For now, cutting hair pays for groceries and electricity.
On a busy week, Matomane gets about 10 customers. Some ask to pay less or pay later. He lets them rather than turn them away.
The money does not go far. Matomane said he cannot afford to buy clothes. The last time he bought new clothes was during a learnership he completed in 2024/2025. He hopes to one day get a job and buy as many clothes as he likes.
He is also saving to get a driver’s licence. He said it has taken longer than expected but he is working to have the money before his learner’s licence expires in February.
Matomane cuts hair from an RDP house belonging to a family member. When business is slow, he works from his room at home.
Pictured above: Hloniphile Matomane from Caguba village in Port St Johns survives by cutting people’s hair.
Image source: Hloniphile Matomane
