Haircuts and pampering are all part of a fun adventure
THE CHAIRS are really tiny. Suddenly, I feel like Alice in Wonderland – too large to fit into anything there. They are not meant for me, you see. These chairs are especially made for pre-school and primary school age children. They are the VIPs inside Maddy Magoo.
A part of the Kids Emporium, Maddy Magoo is the name of a group of salons that cater to children.
Visiting the Linksfield franchise in Joburg, it’s clear this niche is one that needed filling.
It is owned by sisters Palesa Nkabane and Khatlhi Mopeli. Having relocated from Cape Town just over two years ago, Nkabane says the idea to buy into the Maddy Magoo franchise was a no-brainer.
She tells me: “There aren’t a lot of salons that are geared towards kids in Joburg. I have a daughter whose hair requires a lot of maintenance, so my sister and I decided there was a gap we could fill.”
Maddy Magoo handles children’s hair care needs and it also throws pampering parties. Here, a girl can invite up to 20 friends for a two-hour session of minimani or mini-pedis, arts and crafts and good old fun.
Nkabane is especially thrilled about this concept.
“I also love to plan parties for my daughter (five years old) and son (11 years old) but that meant I could only have them twice a year,” she says.
At the salon, I move to a plush ottoman and look around. At the washing station, black leather chairs are permanently in the reclining position and behind them, on a turquoise wall, the story of cute characters Maddy and her brother Magoo is written.
There is a shelf of books against one wall and there are birds, mid-flight, between the mirrors. There are mini-TVs beside the mirrors and even chalkboard tables.
I’m sitting across from Alan Maule, the manager of this Maddy Magoo who is also one of the permanent hair stylists.
Having spent years working in a unisex hair salon, Maule says working with kids is way better. “I enjoy doing their hair and interacting with the kids,” he tells me.
Maule says it’s actually very rare for children to be so nervous or so finicky that they can’t sit still on a high chair. If that happens, blowing bubbles in their face usually does the trick.
“Kids can feel the atmosphere of this place. When they come in, they feel the calmness so they can relax.”
Maule says they have products that cater to different hair textures, lengths and more. Plus, he is especially proud that he has learnt how to untangle cornrowed hair.
For kids who are coming for their very first haircut, a before and after photo is taken and then a First Haircut certificate is handed over for this achievement.
This helps to calm the nerves – of both the child and the parents.
Pamper parties for primary school girls have become quite the trend. But this Maddy Magoo is adding an event that will cater to both genders: aviation simulation parties. Here, kids get to sit in a toy that looks like a plane and simulates flight.
Nkabane is especially excited about this new addition.
“Over the past school holidays, I took my kids to an aviation simulation workshop,” she explains. “I thought I could leave them to have fun for a few hours and go and have some me-time but the kids were so engaged that I, too, ended up just staying.
“It was a learning opportunity for my business. We decided to introduce the aviation simulation parties because then we can have parties that include both boys and girls so it was a win-win situation.”
This is essentially all about positive self-image. Nkabane says loving your hair and taking care of it should be practised from a very early age.
She shares: “If you’re a child, you’re going to spend a lot of time on your hair. The sooner you get a good relationship with your hair the better.
“If you go to an adult hair salon, it’s usually quite cramped and there are a lot of grown ups who are talking about adult things that you, sometimes, should not even be hearing about.
“And if, as a kid, you’re tired, no one is looking after you as such because they just have to move on to the next person. They just look at you as a head wof hair.”
She concludes: “With our Maddy Magoo salon, you can still have a lot of fun while you’re waiting. You can draw on paper or write on the chalkboard. There are tablets and TVs – just so much for kids to have fun with that they won’t even be scared to go and get their hair done.”
Maddy Magoo Linksfield is at Linksfield Square in Gauteng. Visit
for info about nationwide salons.