Karabo Mokone takes over as hair colonel CEO, plans beauty expansion

Hair Colonel, an established barbering and hairstyling brand operating across six locations in Johannesburg’s northern suburbs, is entering a new phase of growth under the leadership of entrepreneur and business strategist Karabo Mokone, who has taken over as majority shareholder and Chief Executive Officer.

Mokone’s appointment signals an ambitious new direction for the brand, combining its established presence in the barbering industry with a broader vision for beauty, international market expansion, professional training and entrepreneurship.

With branches at Sloane Shopping Centre and Hobart Grove Shopping Centre in Bryanston, Leapfrog Shopping Centre in Fourways, Benmore Gardens, Leonardo Hotel and Sandton City, Hair Colonel has built a footprint across some of Johannesburg’s prominent commercial and lifestyle destinations.

Under Mokone’s leadership, the business will seek to strengthen its existing operations while expanding its offering beyond traditional barbering to establish a more inclusive beauty and grooming brand serving both men and women.

For Mokone, the move represents more than an investment in an established business. It is an opportunity to reshape how the grooming and beauty industry approaches innovation, access to opportunity and the development of young entrepreneurs.

Bringing a decade of business experience to a male-dominated industry

With approximately ten years of experience in entrepreneurship, business strategy and organisational development, Mokone brings a combination of commercial insight and international exposure to Hair Colonel.

Her experience as Head of the Executive Office at the Global Trade Alliance has also provided her with exposure to international business networks, strategic partnerships and the opportunities associated with connecting enterprises to broader markets.

She intends to draw on this experience to position Hair Colonel for sustainable growth, develop new revenue streams and explore opportunities beyond its existing customer base.

The barbering industry has traditionally been male-dominated, particularly in ownership and leadership. Mokone believes that entering this space as a woman presents an opportunity to introduce a different perspective while challenging assumptions about who can lead, innovate and build successful businesses in the sector.

“I am coming into an industry that has traditionally been dominated by men, but I do not see that as a limitation. I see it as an opportunity to contribute something different,” says Mokone.

“My experience as an entrepreneur and strategist has taught me to look beyond the immediate product or service. I look at the business model, the customer experience, the people behind the business and the opportunities that may not yet have been fully explored.

“Hair Colonel already has a strong foundation and an established presence in Johannesburg. My responsibility is to build on that foundation, identify opportunities for growth and ensure that the business evolves with the needs of its customers and the market.”

Mokone believes that the future of the grooming industry lies in understanding the changing expectations of consumers, creating more comprehensive lifestyle offerings and investing in the people who deliver those services.

For her, business leadership is not simply about increasing turnover or opening more branches. It is about building an organisation that can create employment, develop talent and remain commercially relevant over the long term.

From barbering to a comprehensive beauty destination

One of the most significant developments under Mokone’s leadership will be the expansion of Hair Colonel into the wider beauty market.

While the brand has established itself through barbering and hairstyling, the next phase of its development will introduce a dedicated beauty bar concept, with services designed to meet the needs of women seeking professional beauty and personal-care experiences.

The proposed expansion will include women’s hairstyling, nail services, eyelash and eyebrow treatments, professional make-up, massages and other complementary beauty services.

The strategy is intended to diversify the business while making better use of the brand’s existing locations, customer relationships and operational infrastructure.

Mokone sees the opportunity as one that extends beyond simply adding more services to a menu. It involves building a brand that can accommodate different grooming and beauty needs within a consistent, professionally managed environment.

“The vision is to build Hair Colonel into a brand that speaks to the broader beauty and grooming industry,” she says.

“We have established a foundation in barbering, and we respect the identity and customer base that have brought the business to where it is today. What we are doing now is expanding that identity and creating space for women’s beauty services, new professionals and new customers.

“I want a woman to be able to walk into a Hair Colonel location and see that her beauty needs have been considered. I also want our existing customers to continue receiving the quality of service they have come to expect, while discovering new offerings that make the brand even more relevant to their lives.”

The expansion is expected to create opportunities for beauty professionals across several disciplines, including hairstylists, nail technicians, make-up artists and specialists in eye treatments and wellness services.

It also creates a platform for the business to explore additional partnerships, introduce new service categories and develop a more diverse workforce.

For Mokone, this diversification is an important part of building a resilient business. A brand that can respond to multiple customer needs, she argues, is better positioned to innovate, grow and remain competitive.

Taking a local brand to international markets

Mokone’s international business experience is expected to play an important role in Hair Colonel’s next phase of development.

Her work in entrepreneurship, strategy and international trade has informed her view that South African service businesses can build brands with relevance beyond their immediate markets, provided they invest in quality, systems, customer experience and scalable operating models.

Her ambition is to explore international market opportunities, strategic partnerships and business relationships that could support Hair Colonel’s longer-term expansion.

Rather than pursuing growth for its own sake, Mokone intends to focus on developing the systems and operational capacity required to sustain a growing business.

This includes strengthening brand consistency across branches, improving service delivery, investing in staff development and creating structures that can support future expansion.

“South Africa has talented people and businesses with enormous potential, but we sometimes limit our thinking to the markets immediately around us,” she says.

“My international exposure has shown me the importance of building relationships, understanding different markets and creating businesses that can compete on the strength of their service, systems and value proposition.

“I want us to think beyond individual branches. I want us to think about what Hair Colonel can become as a brand, how we can create opportunities through partnerships and how we can build something that has the potential to reach international markets.”

For Mokone, international expansion will be closely linked to the strength of the business at home. A sustainable local operation, supported by trained professionals and reliable systems, will be central to the brand’s ability to explore opportunities abroad.

Building the next generation through the Hair Colonel Academy

Beyond commercial expansion, one of the most significant pillars of Mokone’s vision is the development of the Hair Colonel Academy.

The academy will be positioned as an important vehicle for skills development, practical training and economic empowerment, with a particular focus on creating opportunities for young women and aspiring beauty professionals.

The broader ambition is to help bridge the gap between people who are interested in entering the beauty industry and those who have access to the training, practical experience and professional guidance needed to establish sustainable careers.

Mokone is particularly interested in extending these opportunities to young people in townships and underserved communities, where talent and entrepreneurial ambition are abundant but access to formal training, professional networks and business support can be limited.

The proposed approach will combine practical skills development with exposure to professional service standards, customer care, business operations and the fundamentals of entrepreneurship.

The objective is not only to train people to perform beauty services, but also to equip them with the knowledge and confidence to turn those skills into viable livelihoods.

“We cannot talk about empowerment without talking about skills, access and the ability to earn a sustainable income,” says Mokone.

“There are young women in our townships who have the talent, creativity and determination to become excellent hairstylists, nail technicians, make-up artists and beauty entrepreneurs. What many of them need is access to the right training, guidance and an environment where they can develop their abilities.

“I want the Hair Colonel Academy to become part of that solution. We want to create pathways for people to learn, gain practical experience and understand what it takes to deliver professional services.

“But I also want us to go further. Where possible, we want to help aspiring entrepreneurs understand how to manage customers, price their services, maintain standards, market their businesses and build something of their own.”

Under the proposed model, the academy will explore ways to support trained professionals who wish to establish their own businesses, including opportunities to operate under the Hair Colonel brand or within a supported business framework.

Such an approach could enable emerging entrepreneurs to benefit from the brand’s experience, guidance and professional standards while developing their own capacity to operate sustainable businesses.

The long-term ambition is to create a model in which skills development and commercial growth reinforce each other: the business develops its talent pipeline while helping more people participate meaningfully in the beauty economy.

Mokone sees this as an important way of ensuring that the benefits of growth extend beyond the company itself.

“If Hair Colonel grows, I want that growth to mean something to the people around us,” she says. “I want it to mean more jobs, more trained professionals, more women entering the industry and more entrepreneurs who can build sustainable businesses.

“For me, success is not only measured by how many branches we have. It is also measured by the opportunities we create and the number of people whose lives can improve because they were given access to the right skills and support.”

Why the partnership makes strategic sense

Hair Colonel founder Ahmad Abdeljawad believes that bringing Mokone into the business as majority shareholder and CEO represents a significant step in the company’s development.

For Abdeljawad, the partnership is an opportunity to build on the brand’s existing strengths while introducing additional leadership capacity, new strategic perspectives and a broader vision for its future.

He believes Mokone’s experience in entrepreneurship and business strategy, combined with her exposure to international trade, can help Hair Colonel identify opportunities that extend beyond its established barbering operations.

Her appointment also creates an opportunity to accelerate diversification, strengthen the business’s long-term positioning and develop the academy as a more prominent part of the brand’s identity.

“Hair Colonel has grown through a commitment to our customers, the quality of our services and the work we have put into establishing the brand across Johannesburg,” says Abdeljawad.

“Bringing Karabo on board as majority shareholder and CEO is about taking that foundation and building the next chapter of the business. We have an established presence, but we recognise that the market continues to evolve and that there are opportunities we have not yet fully explored.

“Karabo brings a different set of experiences and strengths to the table. Her background in business strategy and entrepreneurship, together with her international exposure, gives us an opportunity to think more broadly about where Hair Colonel can go.”

Abdeljawad believes that the expansion into women’s beauty services will allow the business to reach new customers and develop a more diversified offering without abandoning the core identity that has helped establish the brand.

He also sees skills development as an important part of the company’s future.

“We want Hair Colonel to be more than a place where people come for a haircut or a hairstyling service. We want it to become a platform for professional development and entrepreneurship.

“The academy is particularly important because the industry needs skilled people who understand not only their craft, but also professionalism, customer service and the business side of their work. If we can help develop those skills and support people who want to establish themselves in the industry, we can create value that extends well beyond our own branches.

“I believe partnering with Karabo gives us the leadership and strategic direction to pursue that vision while continuing to build on what Hair Colonel has already achieved.”

For Abdeljawad, the partnership reflects a recognition that the next phase of the business requires both a strong operational foundation and a willingness to embrace new opportunities.

A new approach to leadership and entrepreneurship

Mokone’s appointment also reflects a wider conversation about women’s participation in industries where ownership, leadership and traditional business models have historically been shaped largely by men.

Her approach is centred on the view that leadership should be measured by the ability to identify opportunities, develop people, build sustainable operations and respond effectively to changing market conditions.

She believes that women entering these spaces should not be expected to simply replicate existing models. Instead, they should be encouraged to contribute their own experiences and perspectives to the way businesses are developed and managed.

At Hair Colonel, this will mean combining the brand’s established expertise in barbering with new thinking around beauty, customer experience, professional training and entrepreneurship.

It will also mean exploring how a commercially successful business can create opportunities for women to enter the industry not only as employees, but also as skilled professionals and business owners.

Mokone is clear that the immediate priority is to build a strong foundation for this next phase of growth.

That means developing the beauty bar concept, strengthening existing operations, expanding training opportunities and identifying partnerships that can support the business’s long-term ambitions.

“I am excited about what we can build, but I am also very conscious of the responsibility that comes with this position,” she says.

“Taking on a business of this scale means understanding what already works, respecting the people who have contributed to its growth and making decisions that will support its future.

“My vision is to build a brand that is commercially strong, relevant to its customers and meaningful to the communities it serves. I want young women to see that there is room for them in this industry, not only as service providers, but as leaders, strategists, owners and entrepreneurs.

“If we can combine a strong business with skills development and genuine opportunities for people to grow, then Hair Colonel can become something much bigger than a traditional barbering brand.”

Looking ahead

As Hair Colonel enters this new chapter, the company’s ambitions extend across several interconnected areas: strengthening its six-branch presence, introducing a broader range of beauty services, developing the Hair Colonel Academy and exploring opportunities for national and international growth.

The success of this next phase will depend on the business’s ability to translate its vision into practical programmes, maintain consistent service standards and build the operational capacity required to support expansion.

For Mokone, however, the direction is clear. She sees Hair Colonel as a platform through which commercial ambition, professional excellence and economic empowerment can coexist.

In an industry built on skill, creativity and personal service, she believes the opportunity is to create a brand that does more than meet the needs of its customers.

It can also help shape the next generation of professionals who will define the future of beauty and grooming in South Africa.