• Many of South Africa’s most popular hair and beauty shops are available as franchises.
• This means you can buy your own brand-name shop like Sorbet, Sorbet Man, Legends Barbershop, Nudo Hair, or Waxit.
• If you have a propensity for hair and beauty treatments or want to make money off those who do, a franchise might be the way to go.
• Here’s how much it costs to buy a turnkey business in the hair and beauty sector in South Africa.

Hair and beauty franchises in South Africa make for pretty decent businesses. There are several strong brands that typically require a relatively small retail footprint and allow for additional income through upselling of post-treatment products.

Unlike quick-service restaurants or coffee shops, there’s quite a bit of staff training involved – but you don’t have to worry about cold chains and other daily logistics quite as much. And given the nature of the business, it’s helpful to have assistance with recruitment, training, and stock from a head office.

There’s also a wide range of franchises in this sector available to buy. Some are pricey thanks to their established models and brands, and the depth of service offered. But if you’re willing to narrow down your treatments or go for a slightly lesser-known brand, it’s possible to pick up a cheaper turnkey in this industry.

Here’s how much you will pay for turnkey franchises in the haircare, barber, and waxing industry:

Jeff

Jeff started in 2015 and grew to more than 2,000 franchise stores across 42 countries. The brand covers various industries, including laundry, fitness, and beauty. Under the beauty banner, Jeff offers a hair-dressing franchise that they claim is optimised for increased attendance and productivity compared to traditional beauty salons. They offer two store types that sell cuts, manicures, hair removal, colourings and treatments.

Jeff costs: It costs approximately R570,000 to open a Jeff salon in South Africa. This includes membership fees, adapting the store location, and other initial expenses. Jeff does not stipulate any ongoing royalty or marketing fees.

Legends Barbershop

Legends Barbershop started as a sidewalk barber in 2011. It’s grown to 15 stores throughout South Africa, four of which are franchisee-run. The store offers a variety of barber-related services, as well as a range of hair care products that franchisees can sell. New franchisees receive two weeks of initial training at the store’s head office.

Legends Barbershop costs: Legends charges an establishment cost of R1.2 million, plus an upfront fee of R100,000. After that, franchisees must pay monthly fees of 12% of turnover, which is split between advertising, marketing, and management.

Nudo Hair Lab

Nudo Hair Lab started in Pretoria in 2017. They claim to offer customers a high-end personalised experience with a focus on pampering. Nudo provides a wide range of services, from men’s haircuts to wedding hair styling.

Nudo Hair Lab costs: Nudo charges an establishment cost of R2.99 million. After that, franchisees must pay 10% of turnover in monthly fees, which is split between management, advertising, and marketing.

The San Hair

The San Hair is a human hair manufacturing business specialising in hair products like weaves, wigs, extensions, and accessories. The company has grown to 11 stores nationwide, and they’re offering franchisees the option to purchase businesses that sell their various products and services.

The San Hair costs: It costs R1.47 million to establish a new store, with the total investment amounting to R1.75 million. After that, ongoing marketing, advertising, and management fees total 3% of turnover.

Sorbet

Sorbet launched in South Africa in 2005, and since then, it’s grown to become one of the leading franchises in the country. There are now more than 200 stores, most franchised, but they still have opportunities in most major centres. Several store formats are available, including traditional Sorbet Salon and Sorbet Man.

Sorbet costs: To open a Sorbet salon or a new Sorbet Man store requires an initial investment of R1.53 million, which includes shop fitting and infrastructure, stock, training, and franchise fee. Sorbet says franchisees need cash totalling R2 million, of which R1 million must be unencumbered. Sorbet does not stipulate monthly management and marketing fees on its prospectus.

WAXIT

WAXIT is a specialist beauty store that focuses purely on body hair waxing. They claim to offer a discreet operation by not being a full-service salon business, and they provide a range of treatments. They have 15 stores located primarily in the Gauteng region and are open to applications from new franchisees wanting to enter the industry.

WAXIT costs: WAXIT charges around R1.2 million to establish a new store, plus an upfront fee of R130,000. They recommend a working capital of R120,000, and charge ongoing fees of 9% of turnover split between advertising, marketing, and management.

Source: Business Insider South Africa – https://www.businessinsider.co.za/