These Young Africans are Redefining Natural Hair Care
Using digital platforms to their advantage, two entrepreneurs from TikTok’s Visionary Voices Africa List are filling a gap in the beauty industry.
Mwangi Muthoni and Kayla Kim Kay are on a mission to create a thriving Afro hair care market.
Growing up in South Africa, Kayla Kim Kay had limited access to natural hair products. “The beauty standard was never curly, coily, or Afro hair,” she tells OkayAfrica. “Many brands we have today weren’t available then.” This gap in her own needs inspired her to pursue a niche in the hair care industry straight out of high school, ultimately leading to the creation of her own company, Afrocurl.
Mwangi Muthoni, founder of Dreadlocks Nairobi, also found his purpose in hair care, when his need for locs started the journey to creating his own brand. This desire to do his own locs led him to quickly fall in love with the craft, kick-starting his path. “Being a self-taught loctician, I pride myself on always learning,” he tells OkayAfrica.
Both Kay and Muthoni have embraced TikTok to build their audiences and expand the reach of their businesses. “TikTok has been a game changer,” says Muthoni. “It has helped us reach people locally in Kenya and globally.” With a combined following of over 130,000, they’ve used TikTok not just as a marketing tool, but also as a community hub where authentic Blackness and Afro-centric beauty thrive. They’ve built communities that celebrate natural hair, authenticity, and African beauty standards, all through the platform.
Both entrepreneurs have also been recognized by TikTok's inaugural Visionary Voices Africa List which highlights creators and entrepreneurs reshaping African identity. The roundup is a celebration of talent, but it’s also a timely acknowledgement of those, like Kay and Muthoni, who are driving change in their respective industries.
Visionary Voices Africa has provided Kay and Muthoni with additional visibility, and resources to pursue their goals. “I hope that Afrocurl can break the stereotype of what beauty is and how beauty is defined,” says Kay, whose journey hasn’t been without its challenges. As a Black woman in the cosmetics space, she faced unexpected gender bias. While cosmetics are predominantly marketed towards women, Kay found herself navigating a male-dominated space. “This left room for imposter syndrome and self-doubt to kick in.”
But she has kept going, driven by her resolve to “break the stereotype of what beauty is and how beauty is defined.” Financial hurdles also tested her resolve; she started Afrocurl with her last paycheck and has had to make lifestyle sacrifices to stay focused. “In my first year of business, and even now, I have no social life,” she admits.
Despite these obstacles, the impact Afrocurl has made on natural hair conversations has been worth it, and has fuelled Kay’s resolve to actively spread the gospel of embracing our roots, both literally and figuratively. She believes that being her authentic self and incorporating that in both her content and business is an intrinsic part of this progress and influence. “It’s what allows and gives others hope and the opportunity to be bold and love their natural hair,” she says.
For his part, Muthoni is deeply committed to teaching others, and mentoring those who work with him. He often faces the challenge of staff poaching, but remains undeterred in his mission to grow his business, and share his knowledge while at it. “Every person has a different loc journey,” he says, “and understanding that journey and walking the road together is what cultivates strong relationships.”
Looking to the future, Muthoni dreams of sharing his craft and experiences on an evening grander scale, which will entail opening an academy to teach loc styling and care, and helping to create a service industry that truly understands the needs of Afro hair. Meanwhile, Kay remains focused on spreading the message of the ethical beauty movement through her range of products that are organic, vegan and eco-friendly. She wants to continue tackling discrimination and the “backlash many have faced – and still face – because of hair and hair texture.” Her message is simple: “Embrace the hair that you were born with, help nourish and look after it.”
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