Natural hair product sales boom

TEBOGO MONAMA

WITH SALONS closed due to the national lockdown, people have been left frustrated and forced to do their own hair. This has led to booming sales for local natural hair products company Native Child.

Sonto Pooe, the brains behind Native Child’s plant-based hair products, said since the national lockdown online sales had increased five-fold.

She said while the first two weeks of the lockdown were tough, things quickly picked up after President Cyril Ramaphosa announced an extension on April 9.

“We’re selling out. There are certain lines of ours that won’t stand more than a day once on the shelf, but there’s that element of stress because certain raw materials aren’t allowed in because the borders are closed.

“The reception has been amazing. We’ve been growing month on month. With the pandemic, our online sales have hit the roof. Everyone now wants to buy,” Pooe said.

Other than online, the products are also available in certain stores.

Pooe said as a result of the closure of salons, people had no choice but to do their own hair.

“People suddenly have the time and they are now forced to figure things out on their own. The number of enquiries we receive has increased because people now understand that they have to deal with their hair.”

She said it hasn’t all been plain sailing. “It’s been difficult managing customers’ expectations, they want their products now and don’t understand the delays,” she said. The company employs 12 full-time staff.

Pooe’s hair journey started at the age of 8 when she learnt to braid her own hair after a painful experience at the salon. “Then as a teenager I used to do people’s hair on weekends to earn money,” Pooe said. This helped to relieve her divorced mother’s financial burden, she added.