Born and bred in East London, Eastern Cape – Siya Ndevu is a human hair weave specialist known for her love and passion for embracing beauty and establishing hair treatment solutions. Siya is a very motivated female entrepreneur who spends much of her time building her brand. Firstly, we wanted to hear from her, other than her own brand which other Mzansi brand that she loves and why, “Legends Barber is one of them, I love Legends Barber because our stories are so similar. Sheldon started their business working from his home stoep and today it has more than 60 stores, just like I started Siya Ndevu Hair Studio from my bedroom at home. If anything, our businesses are proof that where you start does not determine where you finish”, she added.
When did you commence with SNHS and why this kind of business? Also, what makes your hair business different from others? “I started Siya Ndevu Hair Studio in 2017 as a side hustle, while I was working full time in a call centre. I chose to go into the beauty industry because it came naturally to me, as I was already interested in making myself look beautiful and I had an interest in Human Hair weaves and how they were done. What sets us apart from our competitors the most is that we specialize with human hair weaves, we fully understand them and we are always on top of current trends”.
In starting, what were your challenges and how did you overcome them? “The biggest challenge at the beginning was getting into business without a clue on how to run one successfully, so I had to read books on growing a small business and constantly learn from any mistakes I made. I remember the first time I was going to interview prospective employees I had to learn how to distinguish suitable candidates from the rest”.
How important is customer service to you and how important is it for you to have productive and well taken care of, employees? “Our exceptional customer service is one of the main reasons we have grown our client base to what it is today, our clients expect it as they have come to know that it forms part of our core values so it is very important to me and I ensure that we stress it during training. Regarding employees, It is very important that our staff are productive because we work with strict deadlines and as in any business, yes we prioritize keeping our employees happy and well taken care of”.
Since you have commenced, please share the highlights of your hair business? “A few I can think of right now are as follows, in 2019 I hosted my first group wig making women empowerment masterclass, that was attended by women from different provinces of South Africa. Secondly, being able to employ at least 7 young women to date is another high, as we continue to play a role in the fight against youth unemployment that the country is facing. Also, the company bought its first vehicle this year, opened it’s first commercial store and stopped working from home”.
Where do you see yourself as a brand in 5 years-time? “I see Siya Ndevu Hair Studio with at least 5 more stores, with its own hair care product line and having created employment for at least 50 young people and more".
Lastly, when not busy with your business – what do you do to keep sane? “I do not have much of a life outside work, in my spare time I edit videos to make content for our social media platforms, especially Instagram and watch out for things that are trending in the industry”.
