Budding journalist cuts from headlines to hairlines
For as long as she can remember, Tshepo Michelle Gasha has wanted to be a journalist, an ambition she still holds onto even now.
However, with paying jobs in the industry few and far between, the 25-year-old has put dreams of front pages and exclusive exposes on hold for now, temporarily swapping headlines for hairlines and words for wigs.
Like so many others, upon her graduation (in 2020) from Limkokwing University, where she studied Journalism and Broadcasting for four years, the Gabane native was faced with the daunting, depressing prospect of unemployment.
Desperate to avoid becoming just another statistic, she decided to focus on her other passion: beauty.
In August 2021, using the last of her savings, Gasha started manufacturing wigs, terming her hustle: Mich Wigs (taken from the first part of her middle name).
“I’m one person concerned with beauty. I believe that ‘Mosadi Ke Moriri’ (For a woman to be beautiful her hair must be up to date). I had to do something about it and monetize it. Besides that, unemployment made me do it. While waiting for my dream job, I thought it would be better for me to get up and hustle,” explains the self-titled hairstylist.
Although the business initially started from home, with demand for her services growing steadily, in February, Gasha opened a shop in Broadhurst Industrial.
“Working from home was quite an inconvenience because it was not ‘hair friendly’ – it was a health hazard for people I live with. Also, I stay far from the market, which was a hassle for some customers. I had to take the business to the people. Broadhurst Industrial is a busy place, densely populated and the shop is easily accessible,” the energetic entrepreneur tells Voice Money, adding her target market is predominantly university students.
“They are the most supportive group of all. This is so because my wigs are affordable, and the prices do not clash with their monthly budgets. They are outgoing, busy people, I had to take advantage of that and it’s working. I also get support from parents since I customize wigs to suit their preferences.”
Narrating her breakthrough into the ever-busy, ultra competitive hair industry, Gasha reveals she gained her wig-making skills from watching tutorials on the Internet.
Mich Wigs come in all shapes, sizes and colour. Gasha gets her material, high-temperature fibre – in between natural and synthetic hair – from a local dealer, who in turn sources from South Africa.
She then expertly styles the hair on a prosthetic head doll.
“The only challenge I have right now is funds to buy stock in bulk so that I do not inconvenience clients. Sometimes, I get more orders than expected, and I have to pass my clients to other entrepreneurs in the market. But guess what, they would rather wait for me to sort myself than go to other wig makers,” grins a gushing Gasha, noting the advantage of her wigs is that the substance she uses is suitable for hairdryers.
Though Gasha is yet to achieve her long-held desire of working in the media, lessons learned from her time at University have come in handy in taking her brand to the masses.
“Since I have studied Marketing, Public Relations, and Entrepreneurship at school, I’m on top of the game. I advertise my work with real pictures so that clients are amused and convinced. I wear my wigs daily so that people get to see what I do. People now identify me with my wigs. Whenever I’m out in public, the first thing they notice is my wig. My pricing is pocket friendly for students; you do not need to lay-bye, you just pick and pay. This is the way I tackle competition,” she states with a shrug.
When quizzed if she has given up on her dream career of being a journo, Gasha, who also teaches the art of wig-making to those interested, replies, “I did not plan on being an entrepreneur. I have always wanted to be a journalist, to work on radio, write stories and be the voice of the voiceless. I believe that in the near future I will be where I want to be, it’s only a matter of time!”
For now though, she is fully focused on Mich Wigs, which remains a solo enterprise, although Gasha hopes to start employing soon.
