It’s a chilly Saturday in Tumahole. The kind where the wind sneaks under your coat and reminds you that winter is just around the corner. Inside TR Lounge, it’s warmer, friendlier. There’s a buzz in the air—the Soweto Derby is on, and a group of fans are already debating who’ll walk away with the bragging rights. Kaizer Chiefs or Orlando Pirates?
I’m not here for the football, though. I’m here to meet someone whose name has been mentioned more than once in local business circles. Someone whose story began not in boardrooms or beauty schools—but right here, in a humble Tumahole home, brushing her grandmother’s hair on quiet afternoons.
Her name is Motsei Mongake.
“I’m a Pirates fan, but not by choice—my grandmother was one. You couldn’t go against her,” she laughs, eyes lighting up as she pulls her coat tighter around her shoulders.
At 37, Motsei is the proud owner of Motsei Beauty Lounge, a salon tucked away at Container Park on Bree Street. But her journey didn’t start with a salon sign or a fancy social media page. It started on her grandmother’s stoep, a little girl gently plaiting hair, imagining a future she had already spoken into existence.
“I always told her—one day, I’m going to have my own salon. She was my first client before I even knew what that meant.”
She smiles when she says this. Not because it’s a line she’s repeated a hundred times, but because it’s the truth. Her truth.
Born and raised in Tumahole, Motsei went to Lembede Primary School and later completed high school at Barnard Molokoane. Even back then, she was already “that girl”—the one who could sort out your hair for your family event or your school dance. The one you went to if you wanted to look fresh without breaking the bank.
“I charged R10 for a full head. Imagine! But it wasn’t about the money—I just loved seeing people walk away smiling.”
While many were still trying to figure themselves out in high school, Motsei was building a client base. She did teachers’ hair, neighbours’, friends’—cornrows, Da Brats, Benny & Betty—you name it, she had it covered.
There was a brief moment when she considered becoming a social worker. And it makes sense. She’s one of those people who see you, who can tell when something is off even if you don’t say a word.
“I’ve always had that thing—where people open up to me, even strangers. And even now, when I’m doing hair or nails, it’s never just about beauty. It’s therapy.”
After matric, she headed to Bloemfontein to study cosmetology at Motheo TVET College. Her family stood behind her, fully supportive of her choice. But before her hands could do the magic full-time, she took a detour through government, working at the Department of Community Safety, Roads and Transport and later Human Settlements.
“I was grateful for the job, but my heart wasn’t in it. Every day, I felt like I was wasting time. I wasn’t doing what I was born to do.”
So, she did the brave thing. She resigned and opened Motsei Beauty Lounge.
Of course, starting a formal business—even with talent and a reputation—is no fairy tale. Clients expected the old R10 days. But Motsei had to have uncomfortable conversations.
“I had to explain to people—this is a professional salon now. Rent isn’t free. Products aren’t free. But if you want quality, I’m your girl.”
She’s not just “the girl who does hair” anymore. She’s built a brand that offers everything from nails and lashes to massages, waxing, brows, makeup, and even men’s grooming. She trains and employs three young women—mentorship she takes seriously—and is already travelling between Parys and Bloemfontein every two weeks, laying the groundwork for a new branch.
“Small towns need this. They deserve nice things too. And I want to give young people in these places jobs. A future.”
But she’s the first to admit that she’s stretched thin. Her biggest challenge right now? Marketing.
“I know social media can change everything for my business. I just don’t have the time to run it properly. But once I do—watch this space.”
The vision is clear. She’s already in talks with SEDFA to develop her own line of beauty and hair products. And just in case you thought that was enough, she’s also running a garment hire service, offering wedding gowns, matric dance dresses, and red carpet numbers for special occasions—all under the Motsei Beauty Lounge name.
And if you think she’s doing this all for herself, think again. Motsei is a mother to two boys, aged 13 and 16—both passionate soccer players with dreams of going pro.
“They inspire me to keep pushing. They need to see that it’s possible to build something from scratch, from your God-given talent.”
As our conversation winds down and the Pirates score in the background, Motsei grins.
“Told you they’d win,” she says, sipping on her drink.
But in truth, it’s not just the Pirates winning today. It’s every young girl in Tumahole who sees someone from their streets turning a childhood dream into a thriving business. It’s every client who walks out of her salon feeling a little more like themselves. And most of all, it’s Motsei herself—a woman who never let go of her vision, even when it was hard, even when it didn’t make sense.
And she’s just getting started.
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