The nationwide Sofn’Free Hair Xperts Masters Challenge is back, bigger and better in a bid to elevate the status of the South African hair industry as well as the profiles of individual hairstylists who represent various provinces. The competition kick-starts with the Style-Offs from tomorrow the 4th April 2017 on eTV between 18:30 and 20:00 and on SofnFree’s YouTube channel – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK5qz_kLB-jjD6edgPUNgRQ. Today, we welcome all our contestants as they get ready for their big day tomorrow.
After scouring the length and breadth of the country, the sponsors of this premium hair challenge, leading hair care brand – Sofn’Free, unveiled the competition’s top 18 talented HairXperts who impressed the meticulous national judging panel, headed by Disce Mamabolo, with each province from the country’s five participating provinces producing at least two contenders.
The Style-offs will see the 18 contestants outshining each other to reach the finals, with one hairstylist being eliminated from the competition per episode. Each stylist will be put through challenges to test their creativity and competence in creating edgy styles which involve analysing, treating and styling the full spectrum of black hair, from natural to relaxed hair. There will be no room for error. Based on the results of each challenge, one contestant will have to leave, as the final eighteen are whittled down to just eight.
The 8 contestants will move on to outshine each another for a Grand Prize of R250 000 at the Grand Finale to be held in Johannesburg in May! Other cash prizes include a Viewers’ Choice Award of R30 000 will be awarded to a Hairstylist who will have the most public votes and the Technical Excellence Award grand prize of R30 000 which will be awarded to the stylist who will master the knowledge and understanding of the functionality of the Sofn’free product range, by the correct and appropriate use of the products. This year’s competition also includes, for the very first time in the history of the competition, the Young Xperts Award of which the winner will also take home R30 000. The Young Xperts Award will be awarded to the student Hairstylist who will outshine their peers. The brand has partnered with various hair colleges in a bid to inspire to student hair stylists from these training institutions.
“The hair industry is a booming industry. Throughout the early stages of the competition the number of entries and interested competition continues to grow with over 3000 stylists submitting their entries for the competition. This for us indicates the growth and popularity of the competition and we are proud about how far we have come since the first edition of this competition in 2015.
Through the Hair Xperts Competition we are developing and encouraging young people to become professional hair experts,” said Sofn’Free’s Head of Marketing, Noeleen Burger.
For over three years now, the Sofn’Free Hair Xperts has been giving saloon owners and individual hair stylists a chance at growing not only their businesses, but also professionalising their natural talent for hair.
“Most of the people that we have given opportunities to, through the competition, come from the townships and as you might know the industry itself is rather informal, the competition offers great opportunities for these talented young people to become professionals in their field,” Burger adds.
This year, the brand has gone a step further in ensuring that some young people from the previous addition of the competition are given a platform to interact with their communities through the roll out of five hair experts and ambassadors in various provinces. These Hair Xperts will be the eyes and ears for the hair brand in provinces such as Free State, Gauteng, Kwazulu Natal, Western Cape as well as Eastern Cape.
“The main task for these regional ambassadors is to create awareness for the brand as they will be interacting directly with the members of the communities they serve in. Their role also includes being the go to people between the brand, our customers as well as stylists from these regions,” says Burger.
Sofn’Free Sales and Operations Manager Angelo Gangiaha says that the five provincial ambassadors, have been well-trained to offer support to anyone in their respective provi
“These ambassadors are well-trained and are at the cutting edge of the trends of taking care of one’s hair. They will be using their vast knowledge of the brand’s many products offerings in creating awareness and inspiring future stars in their respective communities,” adds Gangiaha.
The eighteen Sofn’Free HairXperts Masters Challenge contestants representing seven provinces are: Western Cape -Lucretia Philander, Khonaye Nkohla and Mpho Dineso); Eastern Cape – Vuyokazi Mangali and Arthur Tlhatsi; KwaZulu-Natal – Khe Zondi and Abner Hlatshwayo; Free State – Treavor Mokoaleli and Lydia Makhajane, Gauteng – Maggie Makhethi, Doctor Sithole and Tony Masangu; Mpumalanga – Cosmos Seema and Londiwe Mdluli; North West – Rachel Modibedi, Keorapetse Mabaso and Jeanette Slambert.
