“She Has African Hair”: SA Shows Support After Shoprite Employee Is Trolled Over Natural Hair
- A content creator shared a powerful post condemning online critics who mocked a Shoprite employee’s natural hair, which was tied into a simple bun
- The post went viral on Facebook, attracting massive views and sparking a debate on discrimination, unity, and the pressure on women regarding natural African hair
- Many social media users were disappointed by the trolling comments and supported the employee, arguing that her beauty was natural and her worth was not defined by her hairstyle
- Briefly News spoke with Lusanda Tyawana, a Cape Town hairstylist, about the viral debate connecting natural African hair in the workplace
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Source: Facebook
A photograph of a Shoprite retail worker’s natural hair shared online ignited a strong social media conversation about unity and appearance standards.
The post, shared on Facebook by Mr Style SA, showed the employee whose natural hair, tied into a simple bun, was being mocked by online commenters.
The content creator shared the image, which showed the woman's clean but simply styled hair (slightly shorter and unbrushed in the front), and lambasted the jokes made at her expense. He pointed out the woman's natural beauty and questioned the motives of the critics, noting that she was allowed to wear her hair in any way she wanted. He argued that the money she earns should be her focus, not an expensive hairstyle.
The man calls for women to support each other
The man also shared his profound disappointment with women who pretend to uphold unity on social media. Facebook user Mt Style SA specifically called out the “purple gang,” a reference to those who change their profiles to purple in solidarity against Gender-Based Violence (GBV), asking where their unity was when one of their own was being ridiculed by other women. He concluded that women were often killing each other’s spirits with jokes and criticism instead of lifting one another. He also stressed that a woman’s worth is never defined by her looks.
Source: Facebook
Natural hair pressure and workplace standards
We at Briefly News spoke with Lusanda Tyawana, a salon owner and hairstylist, to discuss why so many South African women feel pressured to wear protective styles like braids and weave instead of their natural hair.
The team asked the hairstylist why many women feel pressured to wear expensive weaves or braids, even though they would prefer natural hair in a simple bun. She responded:
“It is mostly about the cost of time. A simple bun can be quick, but to make natural hair look smooth and polished every day takes a lot of effort. It is often cheaper and easier to pay for braids that last six weeks or longer.”
We noted the public’s suggestion about the employee’s hair needing moisture and asked Lusanda what the easiest, most important step for a busy woman to keep natural hair healthy is. She shared:
“The easiest step is water and light oil. You must spray it daily with water and conditioner mix, and then lock in that moisture with a small amount of oil or hair food. You cannot let hair go dry; it will break.”
The team asked the hair professional for advice to women who want to transition to wearing their natural hair, but are afraid of being trolled online. She said:
“Confidence is your best product. Each person’s hair is beautiful, especially when well-maintained. Always remember that your work ethic is what matters, so focus on keeping your hair clean and healthy, and do not let loud, unkind voices on the internet define your beauty.”
SA supports the Shoprite employee
The post went viral, garnering 55K likes and 7,9K comments from social media users who showed massive support for the employee. Many viewers were disappointed to learn of the news but were quick to defend the woman. They argued that there was nothing wrong with her hair, noting that it was clean and natural African hair.
Some offered practical advice, suggesting all that hair needed was a little hair to soften it, moisturiser, and a hairbrush, but affirmed she should be allowed to wear her hair however she felt comfortable. Others lambasted the trolls, noting that the woman was allowed to wear her hair however she wanted.
User @Rethabile Ramaota shared:
"They say we should proudly parade our real hair until they see our real hair. No matter how I groom my real hair, this is what it looks like. To look neat, we have to braid it, which costs a lot. So we wear weaves at least as a once-off purchase."
User @Ashwill Hermanus said:
"At least it is her own hair."
User @Maitemogelo-Glo Nkgoeng asked:
"But that's Afro hair, what's wrong with it?"
User @Asie Mmago Lihle commented:
"Someone I know once came to work wearing sleepers and a bonnet in her full uniform. She realised when she got to our department, when we were laughing. It turned out she had a lot going on in the morning, ko ntlong (at home) guys."
User @Lwandie Dukashe-Gqola explained:
"This lady did explain why she looked like this; she and her colleague were wearing beanies at work during the wintertime. They had to take them off because they were not part of the uniform after hearing that the senior manager was coming on a surprise visit. Otherwise, she is fine."
User @Njomba Namame shared:
"She's got African hair, there's nothing wrong with that."
See the Facebook post below:
3 Briefly News hair-related articles
- A woman's four-month hair regrowth journey using a popular topical solution, Minoxidil, took an unexpected turn, sparking widespread online debate.
- A woman showed her healthy, long hair and revealed that she used popular items such as Amla oil, hair fertiliser, wild growth hair oil, tea tree oil, sulphur8 hair fertiliser, cloves and others.
- A local woman applied a blow-out relaxer to her three-year-old afro to soften it for easy combing, but Mzansi preferred the natural look.
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Source: Briefly News
