Written by: Shanice Pillay

 Phumelele Khumalo (27) and Nosihle Dlamini (26) are two aspiring young ladies who are set on making a change in the beauty industry.

Both coming from similar backgrounds, they knew they had much in common.

“I am a twin, so I always had a close friend growing up. I am one of seven children, so our home was always full and ‘loud’. We are a very close family. My sister followed in my mom’s footsteps by taking a career in nursing, as she is now a nurse as well. My twin sister works as the brand ambassador of Capitec Bank. My dad has a tradition of opening our home to students (strangers) who have moved from the farms to Durban in pursuit of their careers at university,” said Khumalo.

Dlamini gets her business acumen from her mother.

“I come from a loving family of eight, who believe in giving. My mom is a businesswoman who raises and sells cattle. I suppose I followed in her footsteps of being business-minded. My older sister pursued a career in accounting and the other is an enrolled nurse. My brother is completing a Diploma in Marketing at MUT and the youngest brother is completing his matric this year in hopes to do Maritime studies with DUT. We are big on loving people and sharing the love of Christ,” said Dlamini.

Khumalo and Dlamini both wanted different careers, but eventually got pushed into their calling.

“Surprisingly we share the same story of how we came to choose the studies we did with DUT. I wanted to pursue a career in accounting but when that did not work out I opted for marketing. After all these years I can see now why I needed it. Somehow things just worked out,” said Khumalo.

“And I wanted to be a diplomat but because of financial constraints, I really did not know what else to do until the Dean of Applied Sciences offered me a scholarship in Biotechnology. I may have not known there was such a thing but like Pk (Khumalo), it was exactly what I was ‘called’ to do,” said Dlamini.

With Khumalo’s knowledge in marketing and Dlamini’s Masters in Biotechnology, they put their minds together and started their own business called Get2Natural.

“I began her ‘hair journey’ two years ago, which at the time she had relaxed hair. Nosihle had had dreads for over 15 years and also decided to cut them and do something different. We then became what are known as a ‘product junky’, which came with a lot of frustration, money wasted and was overwhelming. There wasn’t anything specific for our rather kinky and coiled hair and thus Get2Natural was born,” said Dlamini.

It was because of a need unmet with our hair goals that Get2Natural was born. After research, they also recognized a gap in the industry and that they were not the only people having challenges with their hair. In return this gave them a desire to reach out and help such people by not only giving them the information but also safe products to meet their needs and reach their hair goals.

Their products are specifically designed to cater to any individual.

“We produce products for hair, skin and nails. Our natural Hair Growth Oils are specifically tailored for an individual’s hair type depending on their hair porosity which in layman’s terms is a measure of how well one’s hair absorbs moisture. An individual’s hair porosity can either be low, normal or high, whether you are Indian, white or black. Our oils tailored to one’s hair type work effectively for that individual. We also provide individuals with a hair care programme depending on their porosity, which is not done in the market right now,” said Dlamini.

Since they began in January 2017, their company has expanded. They now have a total of 14 products and three personnel part of their team.

Dlamini and Khumalo both have their sights on aiming higher.

“We see ourselves distributing our products nationwide and internationally, competition with big brands such as L’Oréal and Shae Moisture. Having Get2Natural salons across major cities in SA, in turn providing jobs and contributing to South Africa’s economy. As businesswomen we hope to have matured in our individual skills,” the girls added said.

*Caption: Get2Natural Founders Nosihle Dlamini and Phumelele Khumalo.