zulu.1955.jabu
Akayingeni eyezinwele zokufakelwa
Indoda ephotha izinwele
UPHEZU kwezinhlelo zokusabalalisa ibhizinisi lakhe uJabu Stone ongusomabhizinisi kodwa konke akwenzayo ukwenza ngobukhulu ubuchule. “Noma yisiphi isinyathelo engisithathayo singawakha noma siwubhidlize umsebenzi wami. Kwesinye isikhathi kuyangimangaza ukufezeka kwephupho lami,” kusho uJabu.
UJabu, owaziwa ngelika “Mr Dreads,” akakaze aboleke ngisho nesenti ebhange noma kwabanye osomabhizinisi ukuze asimamise ibhizinisi lezindawo zokucwala izinwele ezingu-12 eziseGoli, eThekwini, eGaborone naseCape Town.
Namanani akhe akawakhuphulanga, kuseyilawo aqala ukuwabiza evula i-salon yakhe yokuqala ngo-1996 – kusabiza u-R120 ukwenza ama-locks kube ngu-R180 ukwenza isitayela ezinweleni ezijwayelekile kanti naye uyasifaka isandla alekelele uma efika emabhizinisini akhe aqashe kuwona abantu ababeqeqeshwa nguye.
Ngale ndlela kukhangiseka nemikhiqizo yakhe enjengama-shampoo nama-conditioner, beeswax, ama-moulding creams, hair food nama-hot oil treatments konke okwenziwa ngaphansi kweso elibukhali losokhemisi abasehhovisi lakhe elikhulu eliseSandton.
UJabu oneminyaka engu-44 ushadile, unabantwana abathathu. Ukuphotha izinwele wakufunda kumama wakhe nogogo wakhe esakhula eGinsberg ngaphandle kwase-East London.
“NaseBhayibhelini siyathola ukuthi izinwele zaziphothwa kanti kuyibhizinisi engizolisabalalisa eMelika nase-Europe kulo nyaka ngaphambi kweWorld Cup Final e-Africa,” kusho yena.
Umndeni wakhe wathuthela eDaveyton, empumalanga yeGoli ngesikhathi eqala e-high school; wenza izifundo ze-electrical engineering eneminyaka engu-25; wahlanganisa iminyaka engu-32 eseshadile esephezu komkhankaso wokuvula ibhizinisi lokucwala izinwele.
Waqasha indawo ayezosebenzela kuyona eJozi ngo-1994 nokwathi emva konyaka wasebenzela ekhishini lapho ayeqashe khona eYeoville.
Ngaleso sikhathi wayenolwazi lokuthi kwezokucwalwa kwezinwele imali ingena ngemikhiqizo kunezitayela ezenziwa ezinweleni.
“Inkinga enganginayo kwakungeyokuthi ukuphotha izinwele kwakweyanyaniswa ne-reggae nokubhenywa kwensangu. Abasha babesithanda lesi sitayela kodwa izitolo zinovalo lokuthengisa imikhiqizo yami eyayinezithombe zama-dreads,” kusho yena.
“Kwakuthengwa imikhiqizo eyisithupha kuphela ngenyanga kanti ngangingenayo nemali yokukhangisa. Emva kwalokho ngafuna izihlabani ezazisanda kuthola udumo ngalungisa izinwele zazo ngazinika amaT-shirt ami.”
Abaculi, abalingisi, oDJ nabethuli bezinhlelo zeTV babebonakala beshaye amaT-shirt kaJabu Stone.
UMdu onguphrojusa wathi abaculi bakhe abagqoke wona ngesikhathi bekhipha amaCD abo amasha. Ukubonakala ugqoke iT-shirt kaJabu Stone ngo-1997 kwakukuvulela intuba yokungena kuma-club, uthole izintombi ube yintandokazi nakubantu.
U-DJ Lawrence Dube owayekwiMetro wayedume ngezimpithi zakhe esashayela uhlelo lweToyota Top 20 TV. Izihlabani ezinjengoSello Maake ka Ncube, Geri Rantseli, Nambitha Mpumlwana noBrian Baloyi zakhetha isitayela sikaJabu sokwenza izimpithi esikhundleni sokusebenzisa ezokufakelwa.
“Engihlose ukukwenza wukuvula ama-salon eMelika ngithole negunya lokudayisa imikhiqizo yami khona ngiqeqeshe nabacwali bezinwele abancane,” kusho uJabu.
“Ngingathola imali enhle uma ngivula ibhizinisi lokuphotha izinwele ngendlela yase-Afrika phesheya.”
UJabu wenza amalungiselelo okuvula ibhizinisi lakhe phesheya ezinyangeni ezingu-18 ezedlule ngesikhathi ephakathi kwababemele iBEE abathunyelwa eMelika yi-International Marketing Council eseGoli ukuba bathuthukise iBrand SA.
U-Wendy Luhabe ongusihlalo we-IMC wachaza impumelelo kaJabu njengesibonelo samakhono esinawo eSouth Africa.
Phesheya le nsizwa yabonakala ezitaladini zaseHarlem ichazela izakhamizi nge-salon eyayizoyivula.
Iphupho likaJabu lifezeka ngendlela efana naleyo ayisebenzisa uma ephotha elungisa izimpithi ukuze zibukeke kahle.
Ukholelwa kakhulu emphakathini. I-salon yakhe yokuqala uyivule eBotswana kanti kusihlwa ngoLwesihlanu umthola emaphathini eGaborone emva kwalokho aphuthume eGoli eyogeza izimoto ngenhloso yokuqoqa umnikelo emcimbini weKaya FM.
“Uma imikhiqizo yakho inegama lakho, awukwazi ukugwema ukuba yintandokazi kwabezindaba. Nginenhlanhla ngoba nginabasizi abangilekelelayo nokwenza ngibe nesikhathi sokubheka amabhizinisi amasha.
“Ngibusisekile – yisikhathi se-Africa lesi kanti ngingaba yingxenye yokuyisimamisa.” [z]
Indoda eyayinombono nethalente lokwenza isitayela sokuphotha izinwele izosabalalisa ibhizinisi layo e-Africa yonkana naseMelika…
BONA ZULU – May 2006
KWESOBUNXELE: UJabu oneminyaka engu-44, ukuphotha izinwele wakufunda kumama wakhe nakugogo wakhe esakhula elokishini laseGinsberg ngaphandle kwase-East London.
KWESOKUDLA: Ematasa e-salon…
BONA ZULU – May 2006
indaba nguDOUG GORDON
izithombe ngu-ELMARIE PIETERSE
