 Jacob Zuma, 2 Pac and Chiskop. No, this is not a poll about who is the most popular person in South Africa today. But this is the list of some of the people who have had haircuts and styles named after them. In most city streets you will find people on street corners doing their hair under tents, under umbrellas and even some just sitting on chairs getting their hair braided. African people have used their hair as an expression of who they are for centuries.
The dreadlocks for example have been used by people of Ethiopian origins as a symbol of the Rastafarian faith. The name dreadlock is known to have originated in the late 1960’s, however the style itself is one that is believed to be beyond the chronology of time, having been documented as early as 1500bc.
It seems that dreadlocks have become a world wide hit having been boosted by global superstars like India Arie and Lauryn Hill on the covers of many magazines. In Mzansi however it has taken on a new dynamic having transcended race and age the Dreadlock has been used as a symbol of fashion in a cosmopolitan age. City slickers from all over the country lock their hair in varying lengths, sizes and colours. According to Wilson Smith (who has had dreads for the past seven years) it usually takes 20-30 mins daily to just wash and dry his finger thick locks (a timely sacrifice for the sake of fashion). For those who are more circumspect about spending time in the mirror there is the tried and tested Chiskop.
Basically a hairstyle without hair. Most young males prefer this bold cut because it is clean and clear (and because it saves them 20 minutes in the morning on their way to school or work). Mondli Zwane a student from DUT explains “I hated it when my mother combed my hair when I was a kid, now I know I go to the barber once a month and I don’t have to worry”. It seems that Africans are as conscious as ever about the meaning of their hair and the politics of washing it in the morning. An average street haircut today costs R10 - R15 and for a full treatment one would easily pay up R25. The business of hair in South Africa is one that seems to be on the rise, with more and more people opening up their own salons. The business of shampoo and conditioner is one that will surely survive the recession.
To read more articles by Sihle Mthembu click here
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 21 October 2009 12:26 |
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