South Africa Children in Pretoria can now have the Maddy Magoo experience

Maddy Magoo, a multi-ethnic children’s hair salon chain, will soon open a salon in Pretoria, spreading its presence to a niche market that few entrepreneurs have dared enter.

 Hair salons are largely segregated spaces. Stylists are usually familiar only with one particular hair type and are at a loss about how to tackle another.

Hairdressers and Maddy Magoo can cut and style all hair types, from curly locks and straight layers to afros and braids.
Maddy Magoo’s pilot salon opened in Honeydew about five years ago but now the salon operates a number of franchises around Johannesburg.

Lauren de Swardt, the founder of the company, spoke of the difficulty of finding capable staff with a wide range of skills.
"Additionally, we are a child-oriented salon and require staff that is able to style with patience, understanding the sometimes short attention span of kids. We advise our stylists to employ a few stylists and ensure across the board that skills are covered," De Swardt said.

 

 

"We also advise salon owners to train up existing staff to expand their skill set. Most important is to ensure that regardless of hair type, the client enjoys the Maddy Magoo experience," she said.

De Swardt said plans were in place to open salons in the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.
"In Cape Town, we have a serious lack of multi-ethnic hair salons and most adults and children are required to have their hair done at informal settings," she said.
"I feel that every child, regardless of their hair type, should be afforded the opportunity to visit a magical place and be met with a patient, understanding and charismatic stylist."