Hairdressing Jobs in South Africa - A Great Career Option

There are many opportunities for hairdressing jobs in South Africa. A simple Google search for hairdressing jobs in South Africa listed over one hundred ads. This is no surprise given that hairdressers - also known as hair stylists - are in a recession proof industry; people need their hair cut and styled regardless of the economy. 

 

Duties of a Hairdresser

The duties of a hairdresser are varied. It starts with the simple cutting of the hair. There are different styles and lengths of hair and hairdressers need to know how to achieve the desired look. Additional duties include shampooing, tinting, and perming. Shampoos include both washing of hair and the use of hair conditioners to clean and provide texture to the hair. Tinting refers to changing the color of the hair. Perming is adding of curls and waves to hair. A qualified hairdresser is able to do all of these. Beyond these tasks, a hair dresser needs to keep a hygienic work station, have a pleasant personality, and be able to keep accurate records.

 

Career Opportunities in Hairdressing

Hairdressing is often thought of as a woman's domain, but that would be false. Both men and women become hair stylists and both men and women go to hair styling salons. Their career typically starts in a neighbourhood hair salon but once they become experienced, many move to new settings.

 

Neighbourhood Hair salons -  

Typically, one would begin their hairdressing career as a stylist working in a neighbourhood salon where they work with local residents providing hair care activities. Here they learn the basics of hairdressing. Most work as independent contractors, renting a chair from the salon owner.

Salon Owner -  

This is the most logical extension of a hair stylist's career. They know how to style hair, now they want to ensure their skills can optimize their income. As a business owner, they can earn money from the efforts of the hair stylists in addition to their own work. A salon owner is a business person, and as such they are responsible for leases, business licences, insurance, record-keeping and complying with all regulatory agencies. A business owner's potential income is only limited by the number of stylists they can keep busy.

Institutions -  

There are many government and private institutions that require resident hairdressers. Hairdressers can be either employees of the institution or they may be independent contractors providing hair care services to residents of that institution. These institutions include seniors' centres, hospitals, and prisons.

 

Spas -  

Hairdressers are an integral part of spa, their goal is to enhance one' self-image through improving their appearance. These spas are located throughout the world in international resorts, in city centres and business class hotels. One interesting option is cruise ships. These ships take cruisers on tours to exotic locations. Part of the cruising experience is the spa experience, hairdressers are essential to that experience.

 

Becoming a Hairdresser in South Africa

Become a hairdresser there are private colleges that offer hairdressing programs. It is important to ensure that they are SAQA (South African Qualifications Authority) sanctioned. One could be trained privately but the SAQA diploma allows for better compensation and more opportunities. Initially, hairdressers would want to complete levels 2 and 3. Level 4 is for those who wish to own their own salon. Alternatively, one could start working in a salon with no formal training and apprentice under a hair dressing professional.

 

Statistics

For entry level hairdresser jobs in South Africa, pay starts at R18,000 (South African Rand) per year. After five years, the median wage for hairdressers in South Africa is R160,000 if they are working in a salon, R305,000 if they own the salon.

Hairdresser Jobs That You Could Apply For

Have you always pictured yourself working as a hairdresser? If this is the career you want to make progress in, you might find it worthwhile to look through the range of hairdresser jobs you can get in South Africa today. This will give you a better idea of what you might be doing in the near future.

1 - Apprentice hairdresser

It is worth looking out for these positions as they provide a good entry into hairdressing. The idea is simple – you work in a salon while studying to qualify as a hairdresser. This means you not only get instruction in the theory you need, you also get practical on the job training. Many apprenticeships lead to a permanent hairdressing position with the salon you take the apprenticeship position at.

2 - Qualified hairdresser

If you see this vacancy advertised anywhere, you will know you must be fully qualified in order to apply. This is a good way of distinguishing between trainee positions and those that require a qualified hairdresser.

The job itself can vary in terms of earnings, so it is wise to check the details of any qualified hairdresser jobs you find. In some cases you will rent a chair in a salon and you’ll be required to find your own clients to fill your days. Sometimes this type of vacancy will ask for you to have your own client list before you apply.

In other cases you will receive a basic wage for working at a salon and then a commission on top. As you can see there is some variety in this profession so consider what type of job would suit you best and look for appropriate vacancies.

3 - Senior stylist

The word stylist is often interchangeable with hairdresser, but in some cases an advert will call for a senior stylist. This will require experience in the profession so it is a job you should aspire to further on in your career. Seniority comes with experience and depending on the salon you may also be required to support and assist younger members of staff. Some jobs will ask you to have an established clientele before you apply too.

4 - Self employed hairdresser

Working in a hairdresser’s is not the only route that is open to you once you learn how to cut hair. You may choose to become self employed, in which case you have two choices. You can either set up your own salon or you can become a hairdresser. The latter option would require you to have your own transport and to visit clients in their homes. This can be useful for those who don’t like or don’t want to travel, and you may also find you can take on many bridal hair bookings.

As you can see hairdressing holds many job opportunities for those who are qualified to take them. Hairdressing training are always quite easy to find, so no matter where you are in South Africa this could be the ideal career for you to pursue.

Do You Need Formal Hairdresser Training to Become a Hairdresser in South Africa?

Hairdressing can be a challenging, sociable and rewarding career for many. But of course before you can think about cutting hair you must be properly trained to do so.

In this article we will find out more about hairdresser training and what you can expect as you embark on a career in this profession.

Can you learn on the job?

Surprisingly enough yes, this is possible to do. It is also a popular way of getting into the profession. If you want to go down this route you will need to look for an apprenticeship in the area of South Africa where you live. The odds of being successful in this regard can depend on where you live. If you are based in or near a city you will very likely have more opportunities than you would if you live in a quieter area.

The idea is to take on various tasks in a hairdresser training and also to study at the same time. Thus you will usually be at the salon for a couple of days a week, fitting the salon time in around your studies. As you can see, even if you ‘learn on the job’ in this way, you will still be required to go through proper hairdresser training as you do so.

Is it possible to study for a certificate in hairdressing?

Yes it is. You can get a National Certificate in Hairdressing that is registered and approved by the South African Qualifications Authority. This would provide you with an NQF Level 2 certificate.

This course can be studied part time to allow for experience at a salon as well, as mentioned above. There are different levels of certificates you can get too. The level 2 certificate mentioned above should take just one year to complete. The next level is the level 3 certificate and this also takes a year, on top of the level 2 qualification. You can also go forward and study for the level 4 certificate after this if you wish.

Is it worth studying the higher level courses?

It can be, yes – it all depends on how much you want to know and how many services you want to offer. The level 2 NQF course does not cover hair cutting, so you will need to complete level 3 in order to learn this. Similarly while you can provide a range of services once you are qualified to level 3, you won’t be able to offer perms until you have passed level 4.

It is also worth noting you will acquire the skills you need to open your own salon if you study as far as level 4. So even though you may not need the qualification immediately, it will provide you with a level of hairdresser Jobs knowledge that will be useful in the months and years to come.

So you can see there is plenty to consider in order to have the best chance of becoming a successful Become a Hairdresser in the future.