Interview – Meet Ruth Mafupa of Naturalsisters.co.za

1. Tell us a little about yourself

I am a mother to 3 boys, wife and an entrepreneur. I am a soulful person and too eager to help people most of the time. I love working with people, meeting new people and basically hanging out with fun people.

I am a hard worker as well and love art. I am a natural hair enthusiast and when I am not busy with other things, I blog on how to maintain African kinky hair.

2. What made you start blogging and what’s the story behind NaturalSisters?

I live in South Africa and when I decided to grow natural hair, I read a lot of American blogs and there was no one to relate to in my kind of climate.

I knew there were other people who were also struggling with maintaining kinky hair in a dry climate like the one we have have in South Africa, and would need information. So as I learnt, I blogged about what I was doing. This allowed me to keep track of what I was doing to know what worked and what was a waste of time and also to inform others and inspire them to grow natural healthy hair. And that is basically how Natural Sisters started.

3. Can you remember the moment when you realized that hair styling is your passion? If yes, tell us more…

I was still in primary school about the 4th grade when I knew I loved hair styling. I would braid any doll I came across and even the lawn at our house would be braided if it was left to grow long enough to be handled.

My dad used to call me the beauty queen. When I was older, I used to beg my little sister to allow me to braid her hair and by grade 6 I was able to do descent braids on other people. For kinky hair, this skill is a reserve for only a few talented individuals especially to be able to do so at a young age.

4. Do you have a hair style that you like working on most? Is there something that puts a smile on your face when you hear a customer request…

I am not really into doing other people’s hair at the moment because it takes quite a lot of time to do. However, from time to time, when there is a wedding or some function I help with styling hair and pinned up-do’s are my favorite.

 

5. Do you have favorite brands in hair styling products?

I love my Philips blow dryer. I have had this dryer for 13 years now and it serves me well. So I have an obvious bias for Philips. I make my own consumables like shampoo, masks, serums and oils at Natural Moisture and that is my favorite brand.

 

6. Do you personally prefer classic hair styles or enjoy following trends?

I love classics and have a few signature styles that work just fine most of the time.

7. Please give us your 5 main tips for the the girls out there trying to find their “look”

 

1. Healthy hair should be the base for any hairstyle.
2. Keep it real and customize styles to suit your face profile and lifestyle.
3. You are not your hair but your hair tell us a lot about you so make sure it reflects YOU.
4. Be knowledgeable of what you are sacrificing for any hairstyle because damaged hair does not look good and it may take a while to recover.
5. Be creative if you wish and keeping rocking YOU.

 

8.What are your favorite hair styling websites / blogs?

• http://naturalsisters.co.za
• http://blackgirllonghair.com

9. A message to your fans.

Healthy hair is good hair. Whatever you do, avoid damaging your hair. Learn the styles that reflect you and are kind to your hair.