"No More Holding Hairpiece": Woman Opens Salon in Video After Braiding in University Residence

• A young South African woman, Thandeka Mkhabela, celebrated the grand opening of her own hair salon on 7 July 2026
• She previously braided hair in a student residence before building her business from the ground up
• Briefly News spoke to Thandeka, who shared that she has been doing hair for four years while at the University of Johannesburg

The young South African woman moved Mzansi deeply after sharing the moment she walked through the doors of her very own hair salon for the first time. TikTok user @thandekamkhabela23 posted the video on 7 July 2026, and it quickly resonated with thousands of viewers. She told Briefly News that she juggled being a hairdresser while studying to become a teacher of Physics and Life Sciences.

The clip shows her walking through a beautifully fitted salon space, taking in every detail. She told Briefly News it all started with family:

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"I started braiding at a young age; my sister-in-law was a hairdresser so I learned from her."

From salon in res to a business owner

Her journey began in a residence, where she built her client base one braid at a time. Thandeka explained:

"I always wanted to be a teacher, but I was braiding at res as a side business. I started enjoying it more. I finished school, and I tried applying while doing my side business with no luck. "

She later got a job as a teacher but was underpaid,, and she turned to hairdressing. Her hustle laid the groundwork for a fully equipped, professional salon space.

Thandeka's success story shows what it is like for women starting businesses in South Africa today. Times are tough, and finding a job is very hard. Nearly 46%of young people aged 15 to 34 are unemployed, and young women are struggling the most to find work or study opportunities.

Thandeka is one of many people starting their own small businesses to survive and grow. These small businesses are the heartbeat of the country because they create so many jobs. However, women who run businesses still face many tough challenges in getting ahead. Watch her walk through her new salon for the first time below:

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Mzansi celebrates hairdresser's milestone

South Africans in the comments section could not contain their joy:

@lulusbraids74 wrote:

"Awww mama congratulations 😭😭😍🥰!!! Aww look at God"

@P 🦋✨ said:

"Congratulations 🥂 I remember finding your numbers on the UJ group on Facebook. So from that to this is just an indication of God's grace 🤍"

@Dineo Dee Malema shared:

"I'm just excited for those stands 😅 No more holding hairpiece 😂"

@Mbaliyenkosi Namhla wrote:

"Congratulations mama please share your location so I can come support. Well done stranger 🥰❤️❤️🥂"

@Miss_Kay✨ added:

"Omg congratulations mama 🥺❤️ I'm so proud of you"

Other Briefly New stories about business people

• Many people were impressed by a teacher who showed people that she also runs a side hustle building furniture.
• A woman who was not able to find a job showed people that she found a way out by creating her own cleaning business, in an inspiring video.
• People were impressed by a woman who chose to continue her mother's business after trying to enter the retail workspace.

Source: Briefly News