Our latest Walter Sisulu University article was written by 2nd year journalism student Andisa Bonani. This article explores the new trend of dreadlocks implantations which has become a source of income for many by selling
their locks.
Plaiting of dreadlocks has become one of the most sought after hairstyles currently and salon owners are going all out to meet the needs of their loyal customers.
Dreadlocks also known as “locks” or “dreads” are matted coils of hair usually intentionally formed; because of the variety of textures and the fact that normal hair takes long to grow, people have resorted to plaiting them onto their heads.
Dreads’ origin lies with Rastafarians. They often just allow their hair to grow without combing or brushing over a long period of time, and the hair “locked” upon itself and remains in whatever shape it grows from the scalp.
Ras Isaac, 46, a Rastafarian from Duncan Village said: “I feel that the Rastafari movement is being undermined because growing dreadlocks on our heads is one way for people to identify us. People making money of our identity is theft. I believe if this was an issue of a particular culture something would have been done.”
This new trend of dreads implantation became popular here in the Eastern Cape late 2010. It has played a major role in boosting hairstylists businesses especially those that specialise on dreads.
Supervisor at African Roots dreadlocks salon, Sibonelo Mgiba, based in Oxford Street in East London, said: “In most cases we approach people that already have locks or sometimes they would come to us since they know our business. We’d make them an offer between R400 and R500 depending on the length and thickness of the hair.”
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| Dreadlock Implantations - Image by Andisa Bonani, Walter Sisulu University |
To people like Anda Nqonji, 21, from Butterworth, having dreadlocks has always been her dream: “I’ve wanted dreadlocks almost all my life, but because of my hair type, it’s been impossible, as I have very soft hair. I however jumped at an opportunity to plait them the day I heard it was possible.”
According to Mgiba, people with normal hair, especially the unemployed, would promise to grow dreadlocks in order to sell them to him or grow them on their children to sell them to hairdressers and earn money effortlessly, no matter how long it takes.
Zikhona Ndamane, 32, from Steynsburg who grew her dreads to sell them said: “With the rate of unemployment I had to find a way to make money and growing locks was the only way I could think of at the time, apart from the small business that I have.”
Article and Image by By Andisa Bonani, Walter Sisulu University
