BY Nkosazana Ngwadla
Hlengiwe Hans Ngidi grew up in Kwa-Zulu Natal, Pietermaritzburg, Imbali township. During her formative years in school, she was an active young girl with strong leadership skills. So much so that she was appointed head girl in high school.
After completing her high school studies, Hlengi, as she is affectionately called, studied Visual Communication and Graphic Design at the Durban University of Technology where she earned her National Diploma. She then worked in the advertising industry for almost ten years, before starting her small graphic design studio which led her into the creative world of hairdressing.
“I was introduced to the hair industry by the late Mr. Welcome Msomi (who was my business mentor) and happened to be the father to the late Mr. Victor Msomi.
In 2007 Victor was the president of AHBEASA (AFRO HAIR AND BEAUTY EMPLOYERS’ ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH AFRICA). I started co-ordinating their events and offering them graphic design services. Soon I started getting attracted to the salon business and its potential,” Hlengi passionately tells The Fuse.
Entrepreneurship
After gaining knowledge from various salon owners, Hlengi decided to open her own salon in Pietermaritzburg in 2011. “But I was not a hairdresser then, I was just a salon business owner. I soon realized that running a salon business was not as easy as it normally looks from the outside,” she admits.
“For my salon to eventually be successful, I had to market it on the local radio station, on street poles newspapers, and at community events – then social media was not really available.”
In 2013 Hlengi got an opportunity to buy a salon in East Rand Mall, Johannesburg, which was an immediate success, but the challenge remained the same – was still not a hairdresser, and with her nature of loving to be in control, Hlengi felt she was not in control of her business. “I was depending a lot on other people to show up and do the job, that is when I decided to go and study hairdressing,” she says.
Backing passion with learned skills
In 2014 a determined Hlengi enrolled with L’Oreal Professionnel African Institute which was in Braamfontein, Johannesburg. “I was among the first students who enrolled in this new world-class hairdressing college. Really my decision of studying hairdressing was for me to be able to be in control of my business. But little did I know that my destiny was calling me,” Hlengi boasts.
Studying hairdressing made sense to Hlengi; she was exposed to a different caliber of professional hairdressers such as Rockefeller Makhubo, Bongani Mbunda, Titus Magida, Priscilla Nqoko, and more. The sky was the limit for a bright-eyed Hlengi, and she decided that her place in the industry was not behind a salon chair, but with education and skill development.
“Fortunately, L’Oreal Professional decided to invest more in me in terms of training and career acceleration. After getting my trade and assessor certification, I was employed as a trainer at their college. I thoroughly enjoyed my job, I excelled and within a year I was asked to assist in Mizani Education throughout Southern Africa, which was an amazing opportunity. The following year I was awarded Mizani Educator of the year by the L’Oreal Professional Product Division,” says with gratitude.
Currently, Hlengi is studying Trichology with the Institute of Trichologists UK. Trichology is a study of scalp disorders and hair loss. “This is a very clinical path, it is not hairdressing, although I am at the advantage that I am a licensed and qualified hairdresser.” She is also a National Education Manager L’Oreal Professional Products Afro Specialist and Mizani, where she plans and implements education for salons that use their products.
Touching lives
There are many perks and joys to the work Hlengi does, but the most satisfying part of it to her is making a visible change in clients’ lives. One such client is a middle-aged woman who came to one of the salons she trains.
“The lady was in such distress, and for some reason, I decided to join the hairdresser who was consulting with her. The lady’s hair was thinning, and she had patchy localized hair loss, she looked traumatized and couldn’t understand why she was losing her hair. I had a conversation with her about her family history in terms of hair and asked her about any medication she is taking or any special diet.
After observing and examining her hair and scalp, I realized that she was actually experiencing what we call Telogen Effluvium, which is the thinning of hair due to undernourished and shrinking follicles which is caused by a large number of follicles rapidly moving to a resting phase of the hair life circle. There are many causes of this condition such as physical trauma, emotional trauma, postpartum, and iron deficiency.
I also identified Alopecia Areata, which is an autoimmune disorder where the immune system sees a follicle as a foreign object and attacks it, her areata was still very active. From our conversation, the lady told me she lost her husband in a car accident a year before and she had a c-section childbirth four months later.
I referred the lady to a hair loss specialist in one of the hair clinics. Six months later the salon called me and said that I have a lady who is asking for me. I drove to the salon and found a lady waiting in tears. She was attending a hair loss clinic and her hair had improved drastically and she looked much happier. I was pleased to wash and blow-dry healthier hair on behalf of the salon. That is what my career is all but touching and changing people’s lives through knowledge and education.”
A trip to Paris
Hlengi tells us about the trip to the SSA L’Oreal Professional Seminar in Paris. Two salon owners were chosen to travel with the education team that includes her. “This is not just a normal visit to Paris but an education excursion. The two salon owners are Ayanda Madlebe from STUDIO 353 HIAR in Rivonia and Noxolo Mvalo from TOUCH BY NOXY in East London,” she says.
Ayanda and Noxolo are not only salon owners but licensed and qualified hairdressers, they are being prepared to push their businesses to the next level, the mission is to build sustainable businesses through skill development.
When starting this journey many years ago, Hlengi aimed to build relationships in the industry, be known as an influential figure, mentor and lead. We’d say she’s pretty much nailed it so far!
