27 Jul 2020

Like other industries that have been crippled by the COVID-19 pandemic, local beauty industry is no exception as many businesses felt the impact of extreme social distancing period that was put in place to curb the spread of coronavirus. 

Since the lockdown in April till recently, many beauty businesses which include makeup artists, hairstylists, nail technicians, among others were closed due to extreme social distancing measures.

BOPA interviewed makeup artist and founder of Kelly M Cosmetics, Ms Kelly Mokoti to find out how they have been holding up. 

Ms Mokoti described the pandemic as a total blow for her business and the industry.

She said she was still reeling in the impacts of COVID-19 as she lost about P25 000 because she had to refund some clients some money for postponed and cancelled events such as weddings, functions, birthdays, anniversaries and parties among others.

Ms Mokoti said losing that amount of money for a small business such as hers was a setback, and had to make ends meet through tutorials, coaching people how to do their own makeup for a small fee.  The cosmetician said such also helped her sell other beauty products.

She said her passion for make-up had not dimmed despite not making money for the past three months, adding that she used most of her time perfecting her skills and canvassing for Kelly M Cosmetics business soon to hit the market.

She started taking bookings last month and has embraced the new normal by adhering to  precaution measures, of using masks and gloves.

“One of the main points is that the intimate nature of our job means that I should practice healthy habits. My protocol includes washing my makeup brushes with shampoo each night and using an alcohol spray and alcohol wipes to clean makeup tables and other surfaces,” she said.

The self-taught beautician advised that with the new normal of using mask, it is more important to go with natural looks and avoid using too much makeup, and opt for something that takes a whole day without wearing off.

She said they were closely monitoring the recommendations of the governments and they would prioritise health and safety above all.

For her part Director of Zuri Investment, Kato Masibi of Zuri Nails said she was also feeling the impact as clients were not coming forth thus no money coming through.

She said cancellation of events resulted in people cancelling their bookings.

Ms Masibi said since the reopening of businesses, it was not business as usual, calling for them to intensify their marketing strategies to attract more clients. 

“Hygiene practices at our nail salons are quite important as we sterilise equipment, disinfect surfaces, wear face masks, wash our hands, and ask clients to comply too,” she said.

The nail technician added that she works in close contact with clients every day, hence she complied with COVID-19 protocols.

"My trade is a contact one, as such I do not work even when I have a cold. 

I wash my hands in between attending to clients, use sanitiser on my clients and work station, and use either brand-new tools or sanitized tools for each manicure”, she said. 

She also highlighted that customers were complying making her job easy.

The beauty industry is filled with pop up shops and independent stylists, while some are still struggling, some are closed due to the shutdown.

 Gaborone-based hairstylist Busie of the African Hair Do’s said local businesses were hard hit by the COVID-19 virus, especially that their work involved body contact which is something very risky during this period.

“We are taking precautions to protect ourselves. We also advise staff and clients that when they have compromised immune systems they should keep their health in mind before showing up for appointments,” she said.

The service providers advised clients to make their health and safety a priority and assured them of safety in their beauty parlous as they were adhering to the health guidelines. ends