Salon for organic hair

Funny enough, he has three sisters who have not been as lucky when it comes to plaiting. He credits this to passion. “Some things you can not force,” he explains. Having grown up in a natural hair salon background, he shares how he worked for one of the biggest salons in Zimbabwe, the Afro Kinky, where he learnt some of the tricks of the trade. In search of greener pastures, on his arrival in Botswana, he worked at two salons in Broadhurst and Mogoditshane, where he lasted a total of eight days before eventually finding his way to Lady Vanessa. He left, as he had a yearning for Natural Hair, which is his speciality. Organic Hair Salon is the brainchild of Lebo Merafhe Siwawa- Serufho. She had natural hair, and had been used to doing her own treatments at home. When she became a mother, she wished for a Salon that would give her the same type of experience and treatments that she had enjoyed from the comfort of her house. And so in November 2018, she officially opened Organic Hair Salon. Speaking in an interview with this publication, she explains that Organic Hair Salon is just a part of what she wants to do in the Hair and Beauty Industry. She has a background in Chemical Engineering, and is putting that background to good use as she works on transforming the beauty industry.

She explains that in total, she has about 11 staff members. Every year, she absorbs interns from the Technical colleges who study Certificate/ Diploma in hairdressing. Once they are done with their studies, she absorbs them back into the salon, she says. Sharing a bit of what she is offering her clients, she explains that currently, she is working on developing a number of products that will include a Hair Spritz, which will help to hydrate hair especially with weather conditions of Botswana, as well as a Shampoo, leave in conditioner, using Aloe Vera. She already has an Aloe Vera farm where she harvests the product daily for use at the salon. “Aloe Vera is like cucumber, it has a lot of water, and is very good for the Botswana environment,” she says. She also notes that it also has natural healing properties and has nutrients that include B. “You can also drink it or add it to your smoothies,” she notes. She says that Aloe Vera is organic, and that it is a delicate process to not temper with it, and lose its value without using preservatives. “I want to create organic products,” she explains, noting that aloe vera thrives very well in the Botswana environment. Giving a glimpse of what sets her business apart from others in the beauty industry, she wants her salon to set trends. She is always challenging her staff particularly, Gwara to research and look for hair trends that they can introduce locally. “I have instilled a spirt of research in him. I ask him and the rest of the staff to check out blogs and read on the latest hair trends. And through that, we were able to be the first to do knotless braids,” she highlights, adding that they also do other styles that include Flat twists, sister locks, and many more. They also have another stylist, Ken, whose specialty is Caucasian hair. “This is a market that some shy away from,” she says. “I want to see Batswana embracing it, and being able to learn how to work with this type of hair, and manipulate it just like any other hair,” she adds.

They are presently working on an exciting new concept that will see them combining a salon and spa. The new business will be located at the CBD, and it will cater for clients who are looking for a one stop shop. With the new offering, they will be able to do hair, and also offer spa treatments such as massages, and nails, and even waxing under one roof.