The conversation about who runs the world is still up for discussion, but certainly in the beauty world, women are taking the industry by storm. If there was ever an accurate time to celebrate women in the industry and their amazing achievements, now is the time. The natural haircare movement globally is big business, and in Africa, the demand for high quality, home-grown brands that know exactly how to cater to the specific haircare needs of African women is exploding.
Sinovuyo Mondliwa, the founder and director of Love Kinks states that she woke up and stumbled on an unexpected doek empire, it all started with her documenting her personal hair journey on Instagram. Soon enough she had a multitude of followers asking her for tips, tricks and updates, which is how Love Kinks was eventually born. In November 2019, she officially sent out the first order of unisex premium satin pillowcases, suitable for all hair types and hairstyles to her new distributor. These doeks help retain hair and skin moisture and have been proven to have benefits such as reducing hair frizz, eliminating static and keep your hairdo looking fresher.
“I can’t believe it. I used everything I have learnt about natural hair over the past four years to create this design. Quality control is my most important job at Love Kinks. I go to great lengths to ensure that all our products use only the finest satin. I realised after spending five years in a 9 to 5 corporate job that it was never going to bring me the satisfaction that Love Kinks gives me. The brand has grown so much and with the introduction of new products in the coming weeks I have introduced new beautiful packaging. The need to always use reusable materials is important and as a result no plastic is used and I have made sure that the recyclable materials won’t be a huge cost to Love Kinks and the environment” said Sinovuyo.
Natural hair has gained popularity in the African communities in recent years, after decades of the use of harmful chemicals to straighten hair. More and more women are leaving the chemicals in favour of a more natural approach to hair care. While the beauty industry pushes straight hair as the ideal, the language used for any woman with curls and coils is still quite undesirable: often women are advised to “tame” their curls. Love Kinks however represents and communicates a new story: Love your curls and coils, take care of your natural hair and embrace who you are.
According to the Acumen Magazine South Africa’s black haircare industry is estimated to be valued at R9.7 billion per year and the natural hair movement has reshaped sales in Africa, especially in South Africa, which is the largest market for fast-moving consumer goods. Sinovuyo and Love Kinks are part of this market and represent a group of African women that provide encouragement, advice, product reviews, hairstyle tutorials and much more to other women that are interested in leaving the relaxers and other chemicals and going natural.
Natural haircare products have eliminated several issues, including scalp problems and having thin hair due to using harsh chemicals. In totality, black women have become more confident about what they have been born with. The natural hair movement is a new chapter for the black hair industry, and considering its contribution to economy it’s pretty powerful.
