The braai barber

Olavi Johannes (32), known as the braai barber, wakes up at 07h00 and starts prepping food before his customers begin to tickle in. The barbershop, located at Khomasdal near the Halalal supermarket, boasts a velvet wall with cassette players reminiscent of the year 2000.

“I always wanted to be my own boss,” he says while sweeping the floor.

There are posters of different types of haircuts and styles, and one poster that says, “Life is hard but when you give up, life is harder.”

The entrepreneur juggles his barbershop and braai business to support himself and his family.

When asked how he is able to make it work, he says the barbershop operates from 11h00 which gives him enough time to prepare the food. “I got the idea because the people whose hair I cut always ask for something to eat,” he adds.

Johannes says this blended initiative has helped him become his own boss despite the challenges of the current financial situation in the country. Originally from Rehoboth, he began as a cleaner and then a barber at Ashley’s Barber Shop at Rehoboth in 2007.

However, he says working for someone else was not something he wanted to pursue.

“I came to Windhoek to pave my own way and be my own boss,” Johannes says.

He sells boerewors for N$15 and pieces of meat for N$25 to N$30 each.

“It’s the best of both worlds,” he says.

Johannes charges N$100 for a cut and says he has established himself in the industry, hoping to add more food to the inventory.

He adds that he chose Khomasdal because of a relative that provided him with a cheap place to rent for his business.

Fifi Kroeger (21), a barber at M633 Hair, says he became a barber because he saw Johannes’ dedication to becoming his own boss.

Kroeger, who was also a cleaner when they met at Ashley’s Barber Shop, says Johannes always has tricks up his sleeve. “He inspires me to one day open my own barbershop and work for myself,” Kroeger says.