Feature image credits
Busisiwe x Afropunk
Videography: @pedrothe3rd
Stylist: @ashwinbossman
MUA: @sandysiwe
Hair: @beezybraids
This is Bonolo Gabuza, a 26 year old female who braided her way to Black is King. Yes, she is a big deal and yes she is among the rising stars of Soweto. Here’s a little more about the girl who braids some of South Africa’s leading ladies.
Where are you from?
“I was born and raised in Meadowlands, Soweto.”
How long have you been braiding?
“I have been braiding since highschool, from 2008. I started braiding my dolls and then moved on to braiding some of my friends in primary school. When I got to highschool, I had a corner by the embankment and people would come to me for 5 lines of cornrows and I’d charge them R5. I gave up all my breaks, I even braided some of the teachers.”
Is braiding your full time job?
“Yes, braiding is my main babe”. I braid for a living.”
How did the people around you react or respond to your career choice?
“My friends and clients are supportive and a few family members get it. My sister and my cousins support me, infact, they are a few of my clients. A few of my friends don’t always understand when they want to go out and I have to braid but I do this because it’s my passion.”
Where and how did you learn how to braid hair? Did you get formal training or did you teach yourself?
“My mom once took me to the salon to get my hair braided a day before school photos had to be taken and when we came home, the braids were unravelling and because I had learned how to plait my barbies, it wasn’t hard to fix my own hair.”
Do you consider yourself to be a trend-setter in the black hair industry?
Yes, I do. I am making braids more of a thing. I want braids to be “that thing”. I’m not talking about boring standard braids but braids that people want to wear to any and every occasion.”
What have been your career highlights so far?
“One of them is working with Nikiwe, a local hair influencer on a Nike shoot.
I’ve also braided and styled Busiswa’s hair a number of times.”
What are some of the challenges that you face as a business woman?
“The biggest challenges that I’ve faced are logistical because I do house calls and travelling to my clients can be tricky. Sometimes people cancel while I’m on my way to them and that’s discouraging because I always look forward to braiding my clients.”
Women of colour are one of the biggest markets there is for hair so what advice would you give other hair entrepreneurs?
“Never be on zero” Always keep some money aside.”
Find and follow Bonolo on social media @beezybraidsza