The Township Haircare Boom & Essence’s Rise

Loading player...
Agobokwe Motsepe shares how a father‑and‑son team built Essence Hair Care into a national retail success. From selling their home to fund growth, to scaling manufacturing, to landing a Shoprite listing — this is a masterclass in township entrepreneurship, resilience, and the booming beauty economy.
15 Jul English South Africa Business

Other recent episodes

The Pinnacle Stone Story

Many entrepreneurs search for opportunities in high-profile industries. Kagiso Komane and Wanela Komane took a different path. The husband-and-wife founders of Pinnacle Stone share how specialist industry knowledge, strategic supplier relationships and a deep understanding of their market helped them build a growing South African business in a highly specialised…
21 Oct 35 min

From Domestic Worker to Business Builder

From domestic worker to entrepreneur, Lindiwe Shibambo has built Maid4U into a growing business focused on recruitment, training and compliance in South Africa's household care economy. She joins Kaya Biz to discuss professionalising domestic work, empowering workers and employers, and why franchising could become a new pathway to township entrepreneurship…
7 Oct 36 min

Township Commerce 2.0: How Big Brands Are Reshaping the Market

Clicks’ KwaMakhi, Shoprite’s expansion, Tiger Brands’ 110,000‑spaza distribution — big FMCG players are moving aggressively into township markets. Nevo Hadas from Smartfill unpacks what’s driving this surge, whether small retailers are true partners, how refill models reveal consumer behaviour, and what meaningful market access looks like for township entrepreneurs. A…
23 Sep 22 min

The Business of Boerewors: SA’s 2026 Champion Story

Boerewors is more than a braai favourite — it’s a cultural staple and a thriving business category across township butcheries, spaza shops, supermarkets and weekend markets. In this Ekasinomics episode, we speak to Dean De Sousa, the 2026 Boerewors Champion, and his father Tony De Sousa, one of South Africa’s…
16 Sep 23 min

From Shack to Factory: The Maduwa Paint World Journey

Rodney Maduwa started his paint business in a 5m² shack in Soshanguve — producing one bucket at a time. Today, Maduwa Paint World operates multiple factories and retail stores across provinces, employs young people, and has just won the R1 million Standard Bank Kasi SME National Pitch Challenge. Rodney shares…
9 Sep 15 min