South African haircare brands created by women that you should try

Taryn Gill, the founder of The Perfect Hair. Picture: Instagram/@curlsbytaryn.

Taryn Gill, the founder of The Perfect Hair. Picture: Instagram/@curlsbytaryn.

Published Apr 25, 2022

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Over the past few years, we’ve seen a rise in haircare brands.

With many people starting to nurture their natural hair, many saw it as an opportunity to launch brands that cater to their haircare needs.

Our top three proudly South African haircare brands created by SA women for local women are The Perfect Hair, Nilotiqa and Curls In Bloom.

The Perfect Hair

Owned by Taryn Gill, The Perfect Hair is both for men and women. Packed with essential oils, most of its products cater to nine African hair textures.

“So, ever since I can remember, I have had a large fro of brown, curly, coily hair, and yes, I have the pics to prove it. I was inspired from a young age by my mum (aka StyleGuru), who had the most memorable, large, bright red afro of shiny curls,” says Gill.

Nilotiqa

A locally grown plant-based hair care range, Nilotiqa is owned by Thokozile Mangwiro. Using natural ingredients sourced from Africa, her products are made specifically for black women who have challenges maintaining their natural hair.

“I wanted to create a product that was specifically suited for my type of hair, not to change it but to keep it in its healthiest and most natural form,” says Mangwiro.

The entrepreneur says she started her natural hair journey in high school and the struggles she faced during that time inspired her to start the brand.

“After a seemingly endless search for locally produced products, it was clear there was a huge gap in the market for professionally formulated products made for natural hair. I had no experience as an entrepreneur but always had an interest in the business. And I’ve always been a high performer, so I thought I might as well step out of corporate and be a high performer for myself,” she says.

Curls In Bloom

The brand offers all-natural, vegan-friendly blends of hydrating floral waters, nourishing shea butter and moisturising castor, sustainably sourced from the Qobo Qobo farm and Cape geranium. The products are specifically crafted for the needs of kinky, coily and curly hair across all textures.