The March 2024 Issue

Empowered Voices: 6 Women Entrepreneurs in Uganda’s Beauty Industry Reflect On Their Inspiring Journeys

By satisfashionug | March 8, 2024

Navigating the multibillion-dollar beauty industry, for which Uganda’s own is only in its infancy, in celebration of International Women’s Month, we explore the inspiring journeys of women shaping Uganda’s beauty landscape. Beyond the glamour of hair, skincare, and makeup, these women entrepreneurs have pioneered businesses leaving a lasting impact. Providing employment opportunities and positively influencing countless lives, their stories spotlight resilience, innovation, and dedication. Join us in unraveling the distinct facets that define their success, impact and influence.

Samantha Okullo – Owner, Mirrors Unisex Salon, Mirrors Beauty School, Lengo Organics

Samantha Okullo is the owner of Mirrors Unisex Salon, a high-end hair parlour with 8 years in business. She’s also the founder of Lengo Organics, a purely organic skin and hair brand.

In the midst of chaos, Samantha Okullo found the beauty and artistry that define her journey in the world of hairstyling. Reflecting on her early days, she shares, “It was very chaotic, I won’t lie. But as artists, there is always value in chaos; we always turn chaos into beauty and art.”

Her foray into hairstyling began in school, where she developed an interest by doing hair for students attending dances. At university, Okullo expanded her skills by styling hair for friends and course mates before they headed to the night club, especially during a time when financial constraints were prevalent. “I had also been doing my sister’s and mother’s hair for a while,” she reminisces.

In 2016, at the age of 21, she received a significant boost from her father who gave her Shs. 40 million to open a business. Grateful for the support, she recalls the profound moment, “I had never seen an African man give a 21-year-old girl money in cash. He is not a rich guy, don’t get me wrong, but he is a very supportive person.”

Determined not to squander the opportunity, she faced the challenges head-on. “I couldn’t bear the thought of letting my father down.” Despite the initial struggles to find experienced staff, she adopted a hands-on approach, teaching herself through YouTube tutorials. “I would go watch a tutorial on YouTube and come back and practice. That’s how I learned everything I know.”

On her recipe for success, she emphasizes the importance of seizing opportunities when they come. “When I see people making up excuses, saying they lack motivation, others saying, ‘Samantha, you are so lucky. Your father gave you money.’ But, he only gave it to me because he could see the vision I had. I had to prove to him that it was going to work, and seven years later, he didn’t make a mistake.”

If you have access to money, funding, or partnerships—make full use of that opportunity. Talent exists but as a rising entrepreneur, you must exercise patience, financial discipline and consistency. There’s no short cut.

Margaret Kisitu Nakato – co-founder, Afros n Mo

Margaret Kisitu Nakato is co-founder of Afros n Mo, the first fully-fledged natural hair salon in Kampala.

Margaret Kisitu Nakato’s natural hair journey began unexpectedly when her twin sister, Maria, discovered a movement of black women embracing their natural hair during her time in the United States. “It was a whole emotional finding of self, and she dove in,” Nakato recounts. “We used to have long lovely relaxed hair, but my sister woke up and went for a photoshoot with an inch of hair! I was depressed.”

Struggling with the change, Nakato found herself at a crossroads of identity. “She said, ‘This is the authentic me, so I’m starting this journey.’ I was depressed because we were always the same, as twins usually are. When she came back home after 2 years, she looked amazing. The hair was long and beautiful, and everyone complimented her new look. Within 6 months, I had done my own big chop!”

In her journey to establish excellence at Afros & Mo, their salon, Nakato emphasizes the importance of orderliness. “One form of excellence is orderliness, especially when you have so many people to work with and work on. It’s simply the culture we have created in that space, and we know our customer,” she explains. “I think it is important for the experience of the customer, that we don’t just cocoon in a space as stylists. We are more than just hair stylists; we can be corporate about it. It can be both organized and respectable.”

Coming from a background in banking, Nakato instills a sense of seriousness and professionalism in her salon. “At some point, the industry did not have much respect, and within us, we wanted to change that and increase the value of the business of hair. It doesn’t matter what business you do; take it seriously. My foundations are also based in the banking sector, and I could not come to this space and be casual; it was not in my genes, and I could not comprehend it. I guess that’s why you find this kind of orderliness, and you need to be consistent and principled.”

Recently, she experienced a defining moment when her business was recognized alongside Café Javas and JESA. ” Those are businesses I highly respect. If we were put in that category, Oh My God, that was a defining moment.”

Monalisa Mutoni – Founder of Mona Faces

Monalisa Mutoni, founder of Mona Faces, is without a doubt the most influential makeup artist in Uganda, with a business that not only spans two makeup studios, but also a line of makeup tools, and a mentorship academy dubbed ‘Mona Makeup Masterclass’.

In the midst of back-to-back late nights and early mornings, Monalisa Mutoni found the rhythm of hard work. “I remember starting at 5:00 AM on a Friday morning with brides, going to the studios, doing back-to-back walk-ins that sometimes stretched until 2:00 AM,” she recalls. “Then, I had to start the next day at 4:00 AM, with only 2 to 3 hours of sleep, and that’s what sticks with me.”

Reflecting on those days, she finds solace in the contrast of her current reality, where the freedom to relax on weekends serves as a reminder of the journey. “Look, this is how far we have come, and now we have a team, and none of the team members have to work long hours like I had to. It’s just growth, and it’s beautiful.”

The commitment to delivering quality services stems from Mutoni’s personal values and passions. “Our penchant for quality services comes from who I am as a person, the things that I love, and everything that I do,” she shares. “I’m the kind of person who will only do something if I am passionate about it, and that explains my love for beauty and why I chose this as a career path.”

Passionate about beauty and enamored by aesthetically pleasing spaces, Mutoni’s career in the beauty industry was a natural choice. “In general, I am passionate about beauty, and I love beautiful spaces, so it was a no-brainer for me,” she affirms. “Anything in my business in terms of the products that we use are products that I genuinely love. I won’t do something just because of the numbers or because it’s business; everything is because this is the kind of life I desire to live, and the spaces I want to work with are the spaces I create.”

For Mutoni, the authenticity in her approach resonates throughout her business. “Everything just happens naturally; it was all flowing together; the products and services that we provide are the services I would want or expect to receive from any business.”

Charlyn Kentaro Otim – Founder of Kentaro Organics

Charlyn Kentaro Otim is the founder of Kentaro Organics, a natural hair brand created to help women grow their healthiest Afro with simple effective plant-based ingredients.

We’re here to help you grow your healthiest Afro with simple effective plant-based ingredients.

In the early stages of her entrepreneurial journey, Charlyn Kentaro Otim found herself maneuvering through the bustling streets of Kampala on Bodabodas, personally delivering butter to customers. “I was doing everything myself about 10 years ago,” she reminisces with a hint of nostalgia.

Reflecting on a poignant moment that left a lasting impact, she shares, “One day, after about 7 years of doing that, one of our very first customers said to me, ‘I remember you came to my office on a Bodaboda and gave me the butter yourself,’ and it meant so much to her. For me, it has always been about the personal connection with our customers.”

As the demand for their products grew, she embraced an organic and measured approach to expansion. “We have tried to grow organically and take things on an as-needed basis, so this might not work for everyone, but for us as a company, when we had rigid capacity and got to the point where it’s bigger than one person or two people, then you say, ‘Okay, what do you need and what can we afford to bring?’ And then you expand the production or sales team as and when we need it.”

This deliberate approach allowed the company to stay attuned to market demands without succumbing to the pressure of rapid growth. “I think it has served us because sometimes businesses feel the need to grow too quickly or to meet a demand that’s not even necessarily there. For us, we have been more comfortable with having a bit more demand than we can handle because then it forces us to go out and do what we need to meet that demand as opposed to overproduction when we don’t have anyone interested in our products.”

Kentaro’s journey also intertwines with the shifting landscape of retail in Uganda. Recalling a pivotal moment, she says, “A few years ago, when we were trying to get into Shoprite (they left Uganda and were replaced by Carrefour. It was once the largest supermarket chain in Uganda.)”

Standing in the same spot where she used to meet a supplier eight years ago, she reflects on the humble beginnings. “I remember standing at the Shoprite supermarket in downtown and thinking I was standing in this very spot about 8 years ago. That’s where I would meet the lady who would supply our Shea and cocoa butter, and it was in these tiny little batches. She would bring us a kilo at that time because that’s all we could afford and needed, and it’s so wild that I am standing here and waiting for my meeting to start.”

Sina Tsegazeab – Founder of Natna Hair

Sina Tsegazeab is the founder of Natna Hair, the leading luxury hair extensions brand in Uganda.

The business of hair extensions is shrouded in mystery; cost and quality are often misunderstood, and you either know or you don’t. Eight years ago, Sina Tsegazeab embarked on a journey to redefine the standards. Reflecting on the early days, she reminisces, “When we were just beginning, people did not understand what quality hair was and why it was priced differently.”

In a market where identifying good hair was often reduced to a tagline, the Eritrean-born businesswoman saw an opportunity to delve deeper. “For instance, if you asked anyone to identify quality human hair, you’d be pointed to the cover of the hair box, with the words ‘100 percent human hair,’ or how else do you want us to know?”

This challenge became her catalyst to unravel the intricacies of quality hair extensions and create awareness around it. “We came up with techniques to educate the consumer about what good hair is, why it’s priced differently, and why we were the brand of choice.”

Through this, Tsegazeab and her team discovered not just the nuances of quality but also the missing elements in the market. The result was a market strategy that relied heavily on celebrity influencers and collaborators to educate the consumer. “That’s the specific thing I remember because it gave us a lot of mileage where people started to notice our brand,” she recalls.

As an entrepreneur, Tsegazeab innately understands what hair means to us African women. “As African women, we love hair. That was one thing I know.” Her certainty stems from the intrinsic connection women share with their hair, a universal truth that transcends color, style, and even race. “Hair boosts our confidence, whether you notice it or not. And with hair extensions, you have the power to change yours from white, blue, or brown in an instant,” she explains.

It is this conviction that fueled her vision that quality hair would not just be a commodity but a cultural phenomenon. “That’s why we were so sure it was going to be a big success.”

Cerinah Tugume – Founder of Serene Beauty Salon

Cerinah Tugume is the founder of Serene Beauty Salon, a bridal boutique beauty parlour offering hair, makeup, massage and pampering. Serene Beauty Salon was founded 15 years ago.

Cerinah Tugume, the founder of Serene Beauty Salon, entered the beauty industry propelled by a unique catalyst – vitiligo. In harnessing the transformative power of makeup to address her own needs, she discovered an unexpected joy in bringing happiness to other women through her artistry.

“I came into this industry because of a condition called vitiligo, and because of it, I learned to do my own makeup,” she shares. “I found out that I made women happy when I did their makeup, and that gives me a lot of joy.”

Vitiligo, far from being a limitation, became a canvas for her creative exploration. “Because I had vitiligo, I started to experiment with makeup, and in the process, I became quite good at doing people’s makeup.” As her skills improved, friends began to take notice, leading to requests for makeup on special occasions. The joy she derived from contributing to the start of a woman’s wedding day became a defining aspect of her craft. “I found so much joy in being part of the start of a woman’s wedding day by doing her makeup and helping her to look beautiful.”

Fifteen years into the game, the Serene Beauty brand has blossomed into a beauty salon that offers a holistic approach, specializing in both hair and makeup, with a particular focus on bridal beauty. Teaching became a natural extension, allowing Tugume to impart not just skills but also a liberating perspective on beauty. “In teaching, we are able to pass on a skill and a better understanding of beauty, which is very freeing to women.”

Last year in August, when the brand turned 15, Tugume and her challenged themselves by joining hands with friends in the industry to give away – an all-expenses-paid wedding to a fortunate couple. The wedding, dubbed the ‘Serene Dream Wedding’ was an overwhelming success.

“The entire budget for the wedding was a whooping 230 million Ugandan shillings. And, all these amazing service providers came together to give it away in the spirit of love. It was a beautiful wedding. That’s what I am proud of, and a hallmark of my growth throughout the last 15 years,” she muses.