The COVID-19 pandemic has deeply affected many businesses throughout lockdown, but luckily many more are opening for business. Barber Andre Loots has a mobile barber shop called Tame Your Mane, and is happy to be back in business.
Tame Your Mane started when Andre’s sister Yolande was diagnosed with cancer.
“We are a family of hairstylists, but due to me being diagnosed with cancer in 2019, Andre left the salon and came to work in my place, with my husband Frans while I was recovering. In October (2019), I was ready to work again, but we needed something to keep Frans and Andre busy so they started to transform the trailer into a barber trailer,” she said.
The business was started with the idea of providing a service at weddings and festivals.
“In December (2019), they did their first market with no success,” Yolande said. “Then in February, they did their first rally with huge success. After that they started getting bookings more successfully.”
“Then COVID-19 happened and everything was cancelled,” Yolande said. “We had no income for 91 days. We opened up June 20, and was quite busy the first week and then reality checked in. People are still scared to come out, so business was not what we hoped for. We then decided we have the trailer we might do something with it, so we thought we will take the salon to them.”
According to Yolande, Andre has a few loyal clients that follow Tame Your Mane, but there is also an increase in seeing new faces.
“Andre is a qualified stylist in men’s and women’s hair, but decided that he likes barbering the most. We do have female clients too,” Yolande said. “The trailer is called TameYour Mane and we have a Facebook page, which we try to update, and we are trying to get a permanent stand at Radlof Park.”