Getting a haircut in Ghana is a regular routine for many as barbering shops continue to spring up in many communities.
Usually one has to walk or drive to these barbering shops or salons to have that preferred haircut. Not only that, but one must wait in queues to be attended to.
That is now changing thanks to a new barbering service model which takes the service to the door step of clients.
The Africa Feeds team visited Accra and came across two young men called mobile barbers who sat on their motorbikes neatly dressed and ready to move into town to attend to clients. They are usually contacted by their clients on phone and within minutes are available to serve.
23 year old Edward Affah who is a mobile barber just came to East of Accra to attend to one of his clients. The team watched him while he set up in-front of the workplace of his client.
“I want to sterilize the machine now although it’s has been sterilized but I want to still do it in front of him. There are chemicals for that, you don’t have to worry yourself to carry the big ones,” Edward said
Edward talked about how revolutionary this new model is and how it has transformed his profession.
“There is a lot of changes because this one is a moderate one, if you call me I get your destination I have the hair cut for you. That will be cool for you then you go to your work,” he said.
According to Edward “That one is very nice than you walking in the sun, may be a lot of things to face, you may even meet a friend who will delay you much, not only the traffic. But if you are in your house, you just call me and I will get you and I will get the hair cut for you.”
Edward’s client, Don Warris was happy with the service he received and spoke well of the relief in getting a haircut right at his place of convenience.
“At times you look so stressful and you don’t even want to go out, just to go and crop your hair, but you having such a guy like him, who is very good in cropping, you just give him a call, he comes to your destination, just come and give you a nice haircut which will fit you.” Warris told Africa Feeds
Not far from Edward the mobile barber, is another colleague, Stephen Coffie who is also in his twenties. Stephen explained to Africa Feeds why he had visited his client to provide a haircut service.
“He is at his work site now, he gave me a call to come and give him a haircut so I am here to give him the kind of hair cur he wants.”
Stephen’s client Isaac Martey will have to pay about 3 Euros for the haircut and with the convenience with which he got his hair-cut that is not a worry to him.
“I saw the advertisement around and I tried and it helped me, and its very good. The type of hair cut you want, that’s what he will give you. This one is even much better, its saves you strength, where ever you are just give him the location and they will be there.” Martey said.
The cost of getting a haircut varies however depending on distance covered by the mobile barber.
This new barbering business called ‘combs and scissors’ is providing jobs for many unemployed youth in Ghana. 10 of them work for the company run by young entrepreneur Frank Lord Danso Abbiam. He started the business with less than 1000 Euros and has presence in three regions already.
Danso Abbiam said he wanted to change the grooming industry with his initiative although it has been challenging for him. “It hasn’t been easy, it has been difficult getting barbers who can both barber and can ride the motor. So we are taking them through training, of the riding of motor bikes, providing license for them, and so on, so its not been easy” he added.
But Abbiam said the challenge has been exciting “the response we are getting, its amazing, and that is the only thing that encourages me. The customers we have so far, I don’t think any of them will want to go to the barbering shop. So proceeds are coming, we are getting more referrals.”
Danso Abbiam’s business makes more than 100 Euros of sales daily and is hoping to expand the business in the coming years. Priority is to serve many Ghanaians the best of grooming and also create jobs for the unemployed.
A Labour Force Survey (LFS) report conducted in 2015 by officials in Ghana showed that over one million Ghanaians above the age of 15 are jobless. Finding jobs for these jobless youth is daunting for Ghana’s government but Abbiam said with the level of patronage his business is getting, he should be playing a critical role in addressing the issue of lack of jobs in Ghana.
Source: Africafeeds.com/ Isaac Kaledzi
