Payments Blog

The Story of How Alex Is Transforming The Natural Hair Industry in Nairobi

Alex Githae began his career journey in the salon industry in 2004 and since then it has been 15 years of a road that has had its ups and downs. He quit his job as a computer consultant in order to pursue an opportunity he had seen in the hair and  beauty industry. His story is a true testimony that no matter where you are from or who you are, all your dreams are valid. We sat down with him to get some nuggets of wisdom and this is what he had to say.

What Motivated you to join this industry?

Alex: I developed this passion through seeing my cousins do hair and succeed in it. Seeing them  actively pursue their dreams regardless of the challenges they faced was an encouragement that I too could do the same. 

Alex: I endeavor to create protective hairstyles that can be simple for the ladies who are minimalists  and bold ones for the ladies who are not shy to show off their beauty. This is because in this industry I have the privilege of interacting with ladies with different personalities. Through this I have learned to understand human beings more and to relate  with everyone for who they are not who I want them to be.

Why a natural salon and spa?

Alex: The reason I started a natural salon was to encourage our Kenyan women to embrace their natural hair. African women  have been blessed with healthy full hair that we can take care of and create beautiful hairstyles. My salon exists in order to allow women to wear their natural hair confidently without using  chemicals.

Did you face any challenges when starting?

Alex: At first it was not easy convincing my family that I wanted to quit a well paying job in order to pursue my passion. Especially during those days it was considered a job that was well-known for women. However I did not let this stop me as I knew that  my vision was great and I had a plan to achieve it.

Another challenge I experienced was getting my initial capital for setting up the business. Entrepreneurship is a risk and for many lending institutions they were not willing to give me credit because I was a start-up. As a result, I started small with what I could afford, saved more, focused on building a customer base and eventually buying all the equipment that I needed. 

What is that Unique thing about Pesapal that made you partner with them?

Alex: Pesapal has enabled me to be able to collect data in terms of knowing the clients who have visited my business in every particular day. This is because the Sabi terminal updates all the transactions in real-time on the merchant dashboard. Through this, I am in a position to view the amount of money that has been collected at the end of every day. The 48 hours settlement is a win as  I get access to my money fast and it is easily transferred to my bank. I am happy with the customer service that I get from Pesapal because any time I experience any challenge a sales representative comes to fix it within a short duration.

Parting Shot

Alex: I encourage all the entrepreneurs out there to keep holding on. Business can be hard at times but as long as you believe in your dream you will work hard in order to make it a reality. At the end of the day what matters the most is your dreams and how badly you want to achieve them. You are the only one who can set the limitations so break all of them. As I conclude whenever you want to try out something do not think about failing have your mind focused on achieving it and you will succeed.