Sina Tsegazeab, a former teacher, is building Uganda's next iconic beauty brand

In the past eight years of running Natna Hair, she has won some awards, including Most Outstanding Professional in Beauty and Wellness at the AFROPA Awards in Nairobi, Kenya (2023) and Hi-Skool Awards 2023 for Best Hair Brand.

She has also picked interesting lessons that you can learn from.

Through Bryan Morel Publications, this reporter caught up with Sina and below is her inspiring story.

So, how is life? How is it going?

Life is very interesting. Very beautiful.

How would you describe your 2023?

Challenging. Successful. Great. All in all, it was a very great year.

So, was it a normal year?

Yes. Good side. Bad side.

I read your profile and it shows you're Eritrean-Ugandan...?

I was born and raised in Eritrea... I came to Uganda later. So, I always describe myself as a Ugandan born and raised in Eritrea.

What prompted you to move to Uganda?

My husband was working here. After our wedding, we decided to move here.

So, your husband is Ugandan?

Both. [Laughs.]

You've been here for how many years?

10.

So, your kids are about eight years old?

Eight and four.

Had you started Natna Hair when you came to Uganda?

The idea to start was conceived when I was here. I wanted to use an Extension and I couldn't find the quality of the Extension I wanted. I also realized people didn't know the extensions that I knew by then.

Most people I talked to also couldn't separate human air from other types. [She realized solving this problem could be monetised.]

How do you source your hair?

From different parts of the world. [They buy directly from people selling their natural hair and avoid brokers to manage quality.]

Do you make the final product from Uganda?

No, in Europe.

Can you name some of the countries that you source your hair from?

Brazil, Peru, Mongolia, Thailand... so many countries in Latin America and Asia.

So, Africans don't have the good hair to sell?

[She said it's not traditionally ingrained in Africans to cut and sell their hair.]

So, if you tell me to cut my hair, no, I won't do that. Some things are not easy, maybe culturally, or…

What's that thing you're selling to people that they can't find anywhere?

Quality. Quality is always maintained.

What's that gap you've filled in the market?

The beauty of using human hair is that it doesn't cause any rash on the skin. It also looks like your natural hair once it's done well. That adds value to a woman.

[She also said that while their products may strike you as expensive, they last for a long time.]

Using human hair also helps you maintain the signature look.

What's your target market?

Middle class and onwards.

What's the price range?

For the weaves, the lowest is Shs150k, and 250k for the wigs.

Talk about the different products you have.

Weaves, wigs, fringes, ponytails, lashes, hair care products, combs, etc.

The interesting part is that we also have a collection for men, for instance, wigs and beards.

How do clients find you?

Online marketing. Word of mouth. Different strategic campaigns, depending on the market.

Going back a little bit, you used to be a teacher?

Yes, I used to be a primary teacher in Eritrea. But it wasn't my wish to be a teacher. It was something that I did to complete my national service.

So, how long did you do that?

Close to two years.

You studied accounting after that?

Yes. I did a diploma in accounting and management. When I came to Uganda, I did another diploma in marketing.

Did you grow up in a business environment or you are the first in the family?

I grew up in a family that has always been involved in business, so it was easy for me to think about business.

You distribute to 13 countries?

Yes. We are planning to add two more countries next year.

[They have distribution centres in these countries. They are Uganda, Canada, Australia, Israel, Switzerland, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, U.K., Dubai, Belgium, and Asmara.]

You sell to Africans in those markets or all races?

Mostly to Africans. 

How has been the journey of growth? Do you run many stores or do you still own one?

We used to have a small shop, it's now big enough and the brand has also become bigger. We don't believe in opening many shops. We are only after giving value. [The Natna Hair store is located in The Prism, a building on Kampala Road.]

Can we talk about some of the key challenges?

Running a business is not an easy journey. It's a process. And you've to be mentally prepared for so many things.

One of the main challenges was people not understanding why the product was expensive. They were used to buying human hair at 15k and for us we're selling at 150k.

Explaining to people and putting them in a position to trust us was a big challenge. But we've managed to overcome it.

So, your price points are premium, you are among the high-end products around?

Yes.

How did you find the competition?

Competition is always healthy. We don't want to be a monopoly. If there is no competition, you can't know the values we are bringing.

I'm imagining, it's not easy balancing family and business, are you at a point where you can assign your business to someone else to lead it?

I don't think I'm there yet. A business is like a baby. You need to keep following up.

Have you thought about what will happen when you are not around?

That's a difficult question... and I think, as Africans, we don't want to think about certain things.

However, we are already planning to build a structure that will help a business without my involvement.

How many employees do you have?

Five.

Are you profitable yet?

Maybe next year.

What does it take to grow a brand that people can trust?

You've to have enough product knowledge so that whatever you say is what the customer will experience when using the product.

Product knowledge is key.

What have been your biggest highlights?

Big people acknowledging the brand and buying from us.

The other is seeing happy clients.

Do you do this full-time?

Full time.