Hair is a big business in South Africa. While there are all kinds of hair salons and retailers that exist in the country, one of the biggest areas to focus a hair business on is natural hair. Natural hair products are becoming increasingly popular, and starting a business selling natural hair products could be a great way to enter the popular hair market.
In South Africa, where Afro-textured hair is most common, selling these products makes sense. In this guide, we’ll cover what natural hair products are, why they’re a great idea, and what to consider if you start a business around them.
What are Natural Hair Products?
Natural hair refers to maintaining your hair without using any chemical straighteners, relaxers, or texturisers. It’s a way of maintaining Afro-textured hair in its unaltered state, without altering hair to conform to Eurocentric hair and beauty standards. Natural hair is all about encouraging African people to embrace their natural Afro-textured hair and curls.
This means natural hair products are any hair products designed to maintain this natural hairstyle. Natural hair products contain ingredients that won’t perm, dry, relax, or chemically alter the hair in any way.
As the name suggests, natural hair products are often made from more natural ingredients – avoiding any harsh chemicals that will alter your hair. These products are generally focused on maintaining moisture and cleanliness in hair, without changing the way the hair naturally grows.
Why are These Hair Products a Good Idea?
These type of products celebrate Afro-textured hair for what it really is. For many years, African people with this type of hair have used different products and methods to try to straighten and flatten out their hair. Natural hair is all about embracing hair in its natural state.
Beyond this, it’s a healthier way to take care of your hair. Products for natural textured hair don’t contain chemicals that weaken the hair or make it more prone to breakage. Relaxers contain strong chemicals that could damage the structure of your hair or even burn your scalp.
So using carefully sourced products developed specifically for certain hairtypes is a great way to make people feel better about themselves, while also promoting healthier hair habits.
Selling Natural Hair Products
There is an enormous market available for natural hair care — a market that is still largely untapped. In South Africa, people are willing to spend a lot of money on their hair. It’s a top priority for many. By taking advantage of the rising popularity of natural hair, there is major potential to build a successful business focussing on this industry.
This starts by having a great product. You could either try to develop the products yourself or use a wholesale supplier. Whatever the case, ensure you have a quality product that meets all of the requirements for this hair type.
Then understand the market and establish how your business will fit into this. While there is a lot of potential for hair products, it’s also a highly competitive market. It’s important that your natural hair business comes with a strong unique selling proposition (USP), and that you understand who your target audience is and why they would be interested in your products.
Establish a clear business plan that outlines how your enterprise will start and operate, what operational requirements your natural hair business has, how you will market the business, what your finances will look like, and so on.
Natural Hair Styles
With natural hair comes the ability to enjoy a range of different hairstyles. These include braids, twists, afros, and Bantu knots. Without any chemicals or straighteners in your hair, these styles work particularly well.
If you plan to establish a business around hair care products, it could also be worthwhile looking into styling. The two areas are closely related and offer lucrative opportunities for small businesses.
There is an enormous market available for these products, making this a great area to start a business in. There is also a lot of room to start a small, local business selling natural hair products, with the opportunity to expand into the larger market.
People will always place a lot of value in caring for their hair, and using the right natural hair products is the best way to do this. Focusing on natural hair products and styles is only growing in popularity. So, if you’re interested in hair, this can be a great area for starting a business.
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