From car guard to a barber
Life has not always been easy for Ngwako Matlou and he had to start his ascent to becoming a success by being a car guard.
POLOKWANE – “I was that guy who would wake up in the morning to assist people to park their vehicles but I always knew that I was destined for bigger things. My story could not end at just being a car guard,” he said.
When he was not guarding cars, he would cut young children’s hair in his neighbourhood until it occurred to him, that he could do it full-time.
He decided to take a chance and start cutting people’s hair full-time and grow a clientele.
“I wasn’t perfect at the time and sometimes the hairstyles wouldn’t come out the right way. But I was fortunate that my clients were supportive and would often advise me on what I could do better to improve the service,” he said.
He also committed himself to learning as much as he could about hair, even down to mixing hair dye to get the perfect shade.
After he had proved to himself that he could do hair and be able to sustain himself, he decided that he needed a bigger challenge.
He moved to town and found a salon on Market Street where he could work from.
“It was another gamble and I was just trying my luck. That first month, I was unable to cover the rent for my station at the salon, but the owner was very understanding and said I could pay in instalments as I got clients,” he said.
To have someone show me such kindness was the motivation that I had to succeed so that one day, I can also extend a hand of kindness to somebody else.
He has plans of one day owning his own salon and hair school where he can train other barbers to make money for themselves.
He believes that it is a lucrative business and there are many opportunities for growth if one is willing to work hard, so that they can stand out from the rest.
“You need to have pride in your work. Make sure that clients are always happy when they leave your station and are able to show other people your work. There is nothing better than having people compliment you on the work of your hands,” he concluded.
