Chez Francois couple bow out after 48 years
Their legacy will live on as they coach their successors to maintain the award-winning brand
After almost five decades of cutting, colouring and styling hair, Chez Francois owners Francois and Linda de Jongh are ready to retire.
The couple have spent the better part of the last 48 years running a successful salon, setting trends and training others to do the same.
From 70s shag cuts to big hair, blowouts, curls, crimping and more, Francois and Linda have seen it all.
Francois first bought the salon Gareth & John in 1970 in King William’s Town. In 1972 the business, which by then had become Chez Francois, moved to Vincent Park, when the shopping centre first opened its doors to the public.
“When we first got to Vincent Park there was no parking lot out there, just dirt and fresh air. It’ll be 48 years in September,” said Linda, who was born in Scotland and qualified as a hairdresser at Stowe College in Glasgow before moving to SA when she was 22.
She started working at Gareth & John and it was there she and Francois became a team, in life and in the salon. The couple will celebrate their 43rd wedding anniversary in December.
“We’ve seen a lot together. We’ve been through thick and thin,” Linda, 71, quipped.
She and Francois have four children and seven grandchildren and plan to spend as much of their retirement as they can with their family.
“I’m 76 this year, and it’s time. Our kids want to see us more, we want to spend time with our grandchildren,” said Francois.
As Vincent Park’s longest standing tenant, Chez Francois has operated from the same premises all these years, making a name for itself within the community and the country.
The salon was the first in the area to be invited to join Intercoiffure, the beauty industry’s most prestigious international organisation, in 1977.
Throughout their careers, Francois and Linda have collected a string of accolades, turning Chez Francois into an award-winning hair salon.
Francois chaired Border Intercoiffure for 12 years and Linda went on to become vicepresident of Intercoiffure SA.
Francois was SA champion in men’s styling in 1982 and for women’s hairdressing in 1992.
In 2007 Linda received the Chevalerie award of ‘Knight’ for exceptional services within SA.
Chez Francois has also won numerous awards for business excellence and professionalism from Redken, Twincare and Wella over the years.
Their many awards are a testament to their passion for hair and for people, which is evident in the way they greet each person who walks into the salon.
But for Francois and Linda, their greatest achievements lie in the success of their staff members and trainees, many of whom went on to open their own salons all over the world.
“We’ve trained many apprentices who became Border and national champions and are now running their own successful businesses. To see our current and present staff make a success of their lives — nothing beats that,” said Francois.
“Francois always puts me and his staff before himself. He always pushes and encourages me to succeed,” said Linda, who has been entered into many competitions by Francois, some without her knowledge, over the years.
“The key is to always complement each other and when we sit back and look at everything she’s achieved and what we’ve done together, its amazing,” said Francois who has a fair share of wins under his own belt too.
For those who have been loyal clients through the decades, fear not, because although Francois and Linda won’t be around much in future, Chez Francois isn’t going anywhere just yet.
The business and its brand have been bought by local businessman Alfredo Naidoo.
Naidoo, who closed his jazz venue, The Velvet Jazz Lounge in 2019, has been eyeing Chez Francois for two years.
“I have a world of respect for Linda and Francois and I have so much faith in the brand that they’ve built. These are very big shoes to fill, but I’m prepared to take it on and keep their legacy flying high,” said Naidoo, who promised not to change a thing in running the business.
“Why mess with a winning formula,” he quipped.
The day to day operations will be taken up by Candice Wittstock, 27, who previously owned her own salon, Hair by Candice, while Naidoo runs marketing and sales and oversees the business.
Though Francois and Linda officially retired on August 1, they have agreed to help and teach Wittstock and Naidoo everything they know, and will still be found at the salon on a daily basis for the next three months.
While Francois and Linda are happy to be downing their clippers and foils for much-needed family quality time, they said letting go was incredibly tough.
“The lockdown really gave us a lot of time to think and we just feel that it’s time now. But it’s extremely difficult to hand over our legacy,” said Linda.
“It’s very difficult to sit here and watch my staff and not be able to say anything,” Francois laughed.
“We’ve had some fabulous times and made some wonderful memories.”