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By Anita Dangazele
- Amandla Nozewu from Humansdorp noticed people struggling to look after wigs and started a business with R200 to help them.
- Nozewu now washes five wigs weekly for R180 each and makes wigs for R250 and it is her only income.
Amandla Nozewu from Humansdorp wears wigs herself. That is how she spotted a gap in the market.
Nozewu noticed that many people struggle to look after their wigs. Some felt frustrated and threw them away when they could have been saved.
She realised she could help people and earn money at the same time.
“I noticed that a lot of people were complaining about wig maintenance. Some would even give up on their wigs and throw them away,” she said.
Nozewu started her business with just R200.
She bought shampoo and conditioner on special at Clicks for R99. She used the rest of the money to buy hair rescue products.
After that, she started advertising her services on WhatsApp and Facebook.
The response came quickly.
People began to support her and she now works on at least five wigs every week. She charges R180 for washing and treating a wig.
As she worked, she saw another problem.
Some wigs were damaged and needed more than just washing. Closures were torn and wig lines were loose.
She often fixed these problems for free so that her work looked neat and professional.
That pushed her to add wig making and revamping to her services.
She now charges R250 for making or revamping a wig and also sells closures.
Nozewu says the business is her only source of income. She lives with her sister and her two nieces and uses the money to survive and help with groceries.
She dreams of opening a hair salon one day where clients can get everything done in one place, from washing natural hair to installing and caring for wigs.
Pictured above: Before and after wig treatment.
Image source: Supplied
