Johannesburg – As a businessman who made mistakes, Jabu is compelled to educate others, writes Somaya Stockenstroom…
Jabu Stone is still as passionate about natural hair as he was when he started his thriving business 27 years ago.
His latest milestone is the Hair App he developed to help other upcoming salon owners.
He says as a businessman who made plenty mistakes, he feels compelled to educate others, and help their businesses generate a profit.
The Afrobizz app keeps track of stock, receipts and automates expense management by category. It also offers a financial report by date.
There’s also a portfolio platform with visuals, where clients can view the style they would like to have, as well as client appointment scheduling.
But with product manufacturing as his main business, Stone, who once had 16 salons, has closed many and now runs only three, focusing primarily on hair product offerings.
He hates the term dreadlocks because he says African hair was seen as “dreadful” by the colonisers, and proudly proclaims that he was the very first person locally to preach celebrating natural hair and using organic products.
“I struggled so much when I started out in this business. I saw a gap in the market when I realised how damaging relaxers were to hair. I wanted to create something nourishing and friendly,” says Stone.
“So many doors shut on me that I needed to fi nd my own way. I would help out my sisters on weekends and test my creations on their scalps. My thing was that you cannot suffer for beauty.”
He explains that he did research by asking Rastafarians what they used on their hair locks.
As a Wits retail development graduate and working for Allied at the time, he enlisted the help of a German chemist and together they developed moulding creams and cleansers that offered sun protection for hair and didn’t undo locks. He notes that it looks convincing to have people grow natural locks using his products, but with the help of celebrities endorsing his products, he was able to get some recognition.
From renting a chair in Alex, to opening up his own salon in Yeoville, his luck changed as people started enquiring where to get his range. He approached chain stores himself and, though some turned him down, others welcomed him, until he received a call to sell from a major retailer that was owned by John Ackerman.
“I was so excited, I couldn’t believe it. But it was a long batt le for me. This is why I want to help change the fortunes of others.”
His latest product is a cannabis sativa-infused range of oils and hair food, not only for hair locks, but any type of hair.
“I use the products on myself first – I am the guinea pig, so if something goes wrong, it happens to me,” he says.
Having turned 60 in December and published a book Turning Passion Into Profit in 2016, Stone says his hair revolution journey is far from complete as he wants to continue making a difference.
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