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Guest post by Paul James Fox, written in support of the Industry Vaccination campaign. As part of the Covid-awareness information discussion, we’ve asked for your thoughts and real life stories of what you’ve experienced with covid in your life or in the industry, and why the vaccine is so important to you in your life. Paul Fox is a well-known stylist and salon owner of the Paul James Hairdressing salons in the South of Johannesburg. He has been a leader in the industry since 1997, and is currently the President of the EOHCB. He feels very positively about the South African vaccination programme and describes his journey. “I chose to get vaccinated because I want to travel. I work to travel and it’s killing me not travelling, I’m missing friends and family abroad. I’m missing drinking beer on exotic islands. Generally, most of my friends are going for the vaccination, though some of my colleagues aren’t and they are free to do as they wish. I believe we don’t know what’s going on inside our bodies and I don’t want to take the risk of getting Covid again and ending up in hospital or worse. If the vaccine builds my immunity more that’s what I need. In my network, people seem more confident because of the vaccine. People are prepared to go out more, travel within our borders more. People are fed up being cooped up. I went for the Pfizer injection. I had it done at the Germiston hospital. It took two hours to go through the process - much less than I expected! I had a slight headache but nothing more and felt confident, happy and relieved, I guess, that I had managed to be vaccinated. My second was a brilliant experience and totally seamless. I attended Hatzolah Medical Rescue. I made an appointment and was seen on time with happy smiling faces. I was in and out in twenty-five minutes with a fifteen minute wait included to make sure I had no reaction. No pain, no discomfort and no headache. It was a breeze and I would recommend anyone to have a vaccination at this facility. I feel as an industry we have been through a frikken tough time. We need to take this opportunity to promote vaccinations to our colleagues and guests to help ensure we are not closed again. We have lost friends, guests and colleagues because of this effffing Covid. Please vaccinate for your own safety and the safety of the people around you. I have managed to type this entire mail standing as I now have a tail so I can’t sit down. The unicorn bothers me a little but with the right sunglasses it works. In years gone past, I wouldn’t have wanted to be traced by Big Brother but life is quieter now. THIS BOY IS ON PFIZER 🔥 • • • • • • • • • • • We’ve asked some of our top professionals in the industry to share their thoughts with us and each week we’ll be sharing their stories for you to enjoy. If you have a positive experience you’d like to share with us on the vaccine and the differences it’s made in your personal life or your salon and with your clients’ appreciation of their salon experiences, please send to Beth at beth@hairnews.co.za, with a photo you’d like us to use! Industry Vaccination: Safety, Sustainability and A Return to Normality

The L'Oreal Style & Colour Trophy was held this year in a brand new, super-safe, Covid-protocol-friendly format. The inspirational theme, French Balayage, is topical and relevant to salons, and the judging process assessed all aspects of the technical work, the application, the end result, as well as the commercial effect. The finals were held over two days at the magnificent Raeesa International salon in Parkhurst. Here, competitors from all over the country created their balayage looks on their models, while being assessed every step of the way by a panel of judges and the L'Oréal technical team who were in attendance and also viewing remotely. The finalists included the following top professionals from around the country. (In these challenging Covid times, not every finalist was able to attend the final event due to various circumstances.) Rolanda Lubbe Tarryn Vorster Nicola Smit Daniela De Azevedo Sonja De Villiers Lestienne Erasmus Shelene Shaer Hlengiwe Mpofu Tayla Jade Morris A huge thank you to the judges, who included: Jassy Mackenzie - Hairnews Brinnty Amorim - Colour correction and balayage specialist Mashudu Netshidzivhani- Afro hair specialist Spiro Villioti - Fashion guru After all the scores had been tallied up, Taryn Bloem, national education manager, announced the top three at a live event on Facebook on 15 September 2021. So much love was shown during this live event, and the excitement built as the auditors were called into the live event to give the winners' names! Congratulations to the overall winner and the top three in this awesome event. In a strong field of highly skilled competitors, your talent shone through! In first place, Shelene Shaer from Tanaz In second place, Tarryn Vorster from Tanaz In third place, Hlengiwe Mpofu from Hair @ Stacy and co The team at L'Oréal Professionnel is so proud of every person who entered our Colour Trophy competition this year and showed your skill during a very difficult and uncertain time in all of our lives. Watching you work in the finals was phenomenal! What an event, what a spirit of positivity and cooperation. It was like nothing we have ever experienced before. Thank you for showcasing your talents and the amazing versatility of the L'Oréal Professionnel colour ranges - definitely the top choice for all our balayage artists. We look forward to doing this again with you next year! By Taryn Bloem and the team at L'Oréal Professionnel. Look out for the upcoming Hairnews interview with Shelene Shaer from Tanaz

The Minister of Employment and Labour has published, in the Government Gazette, a new consolidated COVID-19 Direction on Occupational Health and Safety in the Workplace (Revised OHS Direction). The Revised OHS Direction replaces the Direction that was published on 1 October 2020. Access to the revised Consolidated OHS Direction can be obtained on the EOHCB website under the resourcestab. OHS IN THE WORKPLACE - COVID-19 VACCINATIONS - UPDATED DIRECTIVE - 11 JUNE 2021 (eohcb.co.za) Apart from a number of minor technical changes, the principal changes contained in Revised OHS Direction concern the measures employers will be required to put in place in so far as the vaccination of workers is concerned. The Revised OHS Direction was engaged on at length at NEDLAC with all social partners providing input on how best to ensure that employers discharge their general statutory duties, as contained in the Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1993 (OHSA) which is to “provide a working environment that is safe and without risk to the health of his employees and persons other than those in his employment who may be directly affected by his activities are not thereby exposed to hazards to their health or safety.” Although the Revised OHS Direction does not make it mandatory for all workers to be vaccinated, it does make provision for those employers who, as a result of operational requirements, intend to make C19 vaccinations mandatory to do the following: 1. Within 21 days from the date of publication of the Revised OHS Direction, to identify, by way of a written risk assessment, those employees who by virtue of the risk of transmission through their work or their risk for severe COVID-19 disease or death due to their age or comorbidities, must be vaccinated. 2. Once the employees in step (1) have been identified, an employer must amend its COVID-19 plan to include the measures it will implement to ensure the vaccination of those employees (as and when they become eligible for vaccination in terms of Government’s phased roll-out plan). 3. In amending a COVID-19 plan to make provision for mandatory vaccinations, an employer must take into account the guidelines set out in Annexure C of the Revised OHS Direction and must also take into account the constitutional rights of its employees. 4. If an employee refuses, despite the risk assessment conducted by an employer identifying that employee as high risk, to take the vaccine, an employer must follow the steps contained in paragraph 5 (2) of Annexure C. There is nothing contained in the Revised OHS Direction which prohibits an employer from dismissing an employee who has been identified as high risk and who has refused to be vaccinated (and cannot be reasonably accommodated) but employers are encouraged, before considering such action, to seek labour relations support through the EOHCB given the complexities of such a dismissal. Most notably, employers are alerted to the fact that there are provisions contained in the Revised OHS Direction which apply regardless of whether an employer has decided to make vaccinations mandatory or not. In brief, these are as follows: Employers must provide their employees information on the nature of the COVID-19 vaccines used in South Africa, the benefits of being vaccinated and the nature of the side effects that can be experienced when a person is vaccinated. Employers must assist employees to register on the EVDS portal (when employees become eligible to register for their vaccination). Employers must give employees paid time off work to be vaccinated if the date and time allocated to an employee is during hours that the employee is ordinarily at work. The EOHCB encourages all employers, in the interest of health and safety at workplaces, to regularly provide their employees with accurate and up to date information concerning vaccines as to ensure that employees are in a position to make an informed decision when they become eligible for vaccination. EOHCB www.eohcb.co.za/contact-

The Best Blonde Looks of 2021 from South African Stylists and Salons Featuring Hair by Ursula, The Beauty Spot, Visions Styl’n Chic From honey to palest platinum, a celebration of beautiful and healthy blondes!

South African owned professional haircare brands. Be part of it! Contact Twincare International Tel: 011 305 1600 Email: info@twincare.co.za Web: www.twincare.co.za

“Game of Thrones” and “Eternals” star Kit Harington graced the Met Gala 2021 red carpet with a casual swagger reminiscent of actors like Clark Gable and Cary Grant. This wasn’t an accident. Celebrity stylist Laila Hayani (@lailalhayani) intentionally set out to bring a bit of nostalgia to modern times, in a move that subtly pays homage to the land that invented movie stars fitting with this year’s American-focused theme. Scroll down to get the details on how Laila created this throwback look. Stylist Note: “Kit’s hair look was inspired by old Hollywood: classic, polished, sleek yet effortless style, and the goal was to achieve an ultra-sophisticated look,” says Laila. 1 Start by applying American Crew® Fiber Grooming Foam mixed with a small amount of American Crew® Fiber Cream to damp hair. 2 As the hair air dries, finger comb through short strands to create a slight wave. 3 Finish the look with American Crew® Medium Hold Spray Geland a small amount of American Crew® Fiber for flexible hold. 4 Finished look // Photo courtesy American Crew® Article credit: behindthechair.com

Trendy, exquisite, and a perfect blend of sought after shades complete this must-have look! What an inspiration from Shantal Benecke at Blu Gel. The style was published on the Blu Gel Facebook page with the following credits: Hair @shantalbenecke @blugelhair Make up @odettehmakeupartistry Photos @leefolkard Model @poomla.sibiya @fellowshiphair @goldwellsouthafrica #fellowshipafro21 #teamworkmakesthedreamwork #blugelhair #Blugellians Love Blu Gel? Like their Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/blugel.hairstudio/

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A Celebration of Creativity! Color, Color, Color! The second episode of Run Le Hair Show, broadcast on L'Oréal Professionnel Paris YouTube channel on September 19, looks at coloring in all its forms, with advice from leading specialists in the field: Cha Hong (Korea), Berni Ottjes (Netherlands) and Washington Nunnes (Brazil). Discover the science behind hair fiber color; review the latest hair coloring trends from around the world, and join Nabil Harlow’s Masterclass on French Glossing, the newly launched in-salon service from L’Oréal Professionnel Paris. Episode 02 offers the very best advice for colored hair from leading color experts. Produced and created by L’Oréal Professionnel Paris as a show for hairdressing professionals worldwide, Run Le Hair Show is a 100% digital experience broadcast on YouTube and WeChat, focused entirely on hair. Dedicated to sharing experiences, advice from international top international artists, deep analysis of new trends and the discovery of the latest innovations in hair products, Run Le Hair Show is building a genuine community of hair pros and hair lovers. The series continues in 2021 and 2022, highlighting the essential role of hairdressers and inspires young people to join the profession by developing their style and fulfilling their ambitions. Click here now to subscribe to L’Oréal Professionnel Paris’ YouTube channel for all RUN LE HAIR SHOW alerts. Instagram: @LOREALPRO Youtube: # LOREALPRO Follow us all year long on WWW.LOREALPROFESSIONNEL.COM

Has your salon received an arrears letter? If your salon is in arrears with your pension fund contributions, then you would have been receiving section 13A arrear letters from the HBSI Pension Fund - Front Office signed by the Monitoring Person as appointed by the Fund and approved by the FSCA. We have a number salon owners replying to us requesting their accounts to be corrected. Therefore, the reason for this letter is to explain the process in a bit more detail. The HBSI Pension Fund – Front Office receives the outstanding pension fund contributions information from the Bargaining Council system. Then according to this information, the section 13A arrear letters are sent to the specific employers who are in arrears. If you do not agree with the amount that is outstanding, then you will need to contact the Bargaining Council to fix your account. We also need to highlight that in terms of Regulation 33, certain minimum information must be provided by every employer to the fund with regards to payments of contributions in terms of section 13A. In terms of the SECTION 13A OF THE PENSION FUND’S ACT, ACT 24 OF 1956: ARREAR CONTRIBUTIONS, if payments are not received by the 7th of the month, then arrear letters will be sent to outstanding businesses. Please see the attached letter HERE from Kevin Wright Monitoring Person: Hairdressing Beauty and Skincare Industry Pension Fund, in which he explains the process in more detail. For any further info please contact the Bargaining Council and we will gladly assist. www.hcsbc.co.za/contact-us/

The collection delves into the sensation of 2020 as a year that we have barely lived, as if we were stunned or petrified within that anomaly that has prevented us from celebrating life in each of its aspects. That same situation has led its creators to go one step further and create their first most creative collection, changing the previous style to achieve an elegant and masculine vision and managing to convey their passion for the industry. The result offers looks in which hair is the main protagonist, clearly standing out in the image by distancing itself from the petrified finish of the skin, whatever its tone, with rich and complex textures that express the power of hair. Hair:Barberia Ayoze Medina Hair Instagram:@barberiaayozemedina Photography:Marcos cabrera Photography Instagram: @masrciscabrera_fotografo MUA:Ana Lidia Alonso MUA Instagram:@analidiaalonsomua Styling:Ayoze Medina Models:Adan Gonzalez @mr.adangonzalez.g Onan Medina @onanmedina_ocr Diego Balmaceda. @im.diegobalmaceda David martin. @sr.martinramirez Products: Skullmen Products Instagram:@skullmen_k89

Click HERE to find out more about Groomed Academy’s dual certification online courses and click HERE to read more about the incredible competition with an overseas trip as the prize. Read the interview below. An exciting delve into the mind of a successful entrepreneur – what makes it work. Groomed Academy’s own Eric Way Lovemore sat down recently with Mike Racz, the founder of Head Quarters Barbers and Beverages in the UK to discuss what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur in a fascinating conversation. HQ is the brainchild of Mike Racz, of Racz Group, the face behind a number of popular franchises – Domino’s, Costa Coffee and Anytime Fitness in the UK. His vision of HQ is the melding of high tech and traditional comfort and style, the concept of sitting in the luxury of your living room, with a pint or a coffee to enjoy while you wait. The first three barber shops of Head Quarters Barbers & Beverages opened in April of this year in the UK. With this joining of technology and tradition, Mike hopes to bring barbering kicking and screaming into the 21st century. THEIR MOTTO “The no wait - hassle-free barbers.” Eric: What has been your biggest achievement and point of pride since you began your business journey? Mike: Coming from Hungary, everything was stacked against us, there were 8,000 applicants for this Domino’s franchise. If I’d known that, I would have thought it’s impossible, but thankfully I was none the wiser. I don’t have anything to prove to anyone. If you’ve got the right positive mental attitude, you can achieve anything. If that’s what you want to do, then go for it! • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Eric: Do you think people are born with an entrepreneurial mindset or can they develop it as they grow and learn in business? Mike: I think that anybody can be in business and own a business, be successful and manage people and be good at management. Being an entrepreneur is in the mindset and being willing to risk it all every single time. You shouldn’t have to learn to take risks, you should already be a risk taker which I definitely am. If you are willing to risk it all, then the rewards can be amazing, so that’s how I think every time I go into a new venture. Knowing that I could fail is absolutely not in my thought process. I can never accept it – not because I haven’t failed in business, but that mentality, that fear of failure, you learn to embrace it and get over it. In fact, I enjoy the problems, the challenges and the fixing. You can’t underestimate hard work, dedication and passion. All of these are absolute building blocks for anyone who is successful in business. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Eric: What are the main points of difference that set this chain of barbershops apart? Mike: There are a number of points you want to address: traditional comfort and convenience with technology. You will find similarities with other barber shops, but as far as I am concerned nobody has put all of these things together before. The first problem that you want to eliminate is uncertainty. So even if you book in advance, you might wait 20 minutes or 60 minutes. You don’t want to have that uncertainty. That’s where we have the “live waiting time” booking system. You can book online or via an app and we have big digital screens in the windows of each store that tell you the waiting times. Then you come and join us in the ‘living room’ to have a pint at the self-serve bar, tea or coffee or soft drinks free of charge, while you wait in comfort for your appointment. The second thing is that I wanted to create that inviting environment, that living room experience. What we have done is created a comfortable environment , slightly lavish co-existing together. Every other barber shop has elements of this in the UK, but we have put them together to create this experience, this is what I feel will contribute to our success. We looked at all the frustrations customers faced when going to the barbers, and how we could make Head Quarters different. Our mission is to bring one of the oldest professions into the 21st century by introducing new technology across the board, from booking systems to the shop floor within the luxury and comfort of what can be your own living room, with a coffee or beer to relax with. Eric: I love the whole concept, I feel the aspiration around this is for that person who would like to fly first class and experience that environment with you, but only pay £20 for their haircut to enjoy this. Mike: It’s an affordable luxury. Eric: What does it take to successfully manage and grow a team of barbers and what is your advice to other barbershop owners? Mike: (laughing) It’s not dissimilar to many other businesses, people are people, and people underestimate what it takes generally, thinking it’s simpler and much easier. You need to be aligned in your values, in the ways we operate, and in your style. It’s what we stand for, and if you don’t believe that, then it’s not the place for you. It’s not just a haircut, it’s a service for you to be proud to offer. If you’re just coming here for a salary and it’s just for that reason, then you’ll be out. Working for us is a career, not just a job. I want these Barbers to be managers, regional managers and operations managers. Our Barbers have the opportunity to progress up the ranks within the company. Eric: I think that they do see that…it’s an investment of their own time when they’re starting out. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Eric: What do you look for when you hire someone (in any of your businesses) – what are the main personal qualities you want to see in a new team member? Mike: I want the right attitude, client engagement and personality. You should always act in the best interest of the business. If you criticise, then make sure you can come up with a solution for the problem. When you join us, it’s not about making you into something you’re not. You’re already working for the business because you have the same values. If you don’t have these values and constantly complain and criticise but never have a solution, then working for us will not work. It should be “let me help you with that, let me fix that for you, let me educate you, let me guide you.” But a lot of people just want to moan out loud in general, “I don’t like this, I don’t like that, or this is wrong”. If this is your attitude, I can’t change that in you, it’s your upbringing, your genetics. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Eric: How important is your Barber’s education and skills in the success of your barber shops, and how do you ensure these skills are top-notch? Mike: Obviously you have to hire the right people. If you want to create a brainchild, a brain, you want to establish it when the brain is susceptible. You have to have the same standards, and you begin to train the pattern, to be able to train our barbers to come out with new styles, with new haircuts each season. You want to train to the same high standards, the same equipment, the same formula, but with that individualism that the barbers bring to the table. Eric: Yes, that’s very much how I think it should work. One of the prime examples is Schorem in Holland. What I love about them is that it took time to become known for only cutting specific hair styles in their barber shops. When you visit them for a haircut and you want a short back and sides, you’re not going to get it, but they have become so popular for their trendy old school hairstyles that people come from all over just to cut their hair with them. And I think when you do your training with your barbers, it’s different. Unfortunately, many barbers feel that a guy can just walk in and ask for a short back and sides and the barbers don’t feel they can add that design element to it, that they can start saying to the client “Hey I think you’d look a bit better if you did this.” Mike: I 100% agree with this. If you go to a barber and you try something that you’ve never tried before, that’s a barber. We should be more proactive like this. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Eric: What are the most important aspects of the client experience in Head Quarters Barbers and Beverages? What do you want clients to think and feel through the service and when they leave? Mike: I want them to feel that they are in a nice living room environment, where they can switch off and receive great personal service, but not feel intimidated. I want them to feel like they’re at their mate’s place and having a relaxing time and know that they’re not going to be waiting around wasting their time. We want customers to feel at home and that they are always welcome. I like my Barbers to greet our clients similarly to the way the staff greet me at the Dorchester Hotel in London, where they know my face, know my name, how many times I’ve stayed there and deliver incredible customer service. Eric: I just think when you walk in that door, your barber knows you, you have that connection instantly. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Eric: You decided to create your own styling range to complement the barber shops, why did you do that? Mike: We wanted to establish the brand, and the long term goal is to sell our own styling products worldwide. We developed the range that we have in store, over a number of months, with lots of trials on the signature scent, with focus groups to decide on what we needed to have in store and what was currently trending, with quirky names to associate this with the barbering world. This was a major investment for the brand, and we have seven styling products in the range now. The scent is amazing, and each store needs to have that olfactory connection, it's a musky scent with hints of oud, and we’re developing the HQRS range further into beard oils and aftershaves. We have sample pots to give away in store, so you can try them before you buy them...give the barbers something to talk about with the customer from the minute they get shampooed to walking out of the door. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Eric: What new projects and exciting ventures are on the horizon? Mike: We are looking to bring in new brands, new franchises, different experiences and expand into different countries. I’m looking to open several more Head Quarters in this region over the next 12 months. In my mind, this is just the start and Head Quarters is already an international business. We have interest internationally and from major UK retailers showing interest in our styling products, plus we are looking to the future to potentially franchise in other places. There’s that belief and positive mental attitude in our company. It’s all about the concept followed by hard work. Never set your goals in stone because having goals limits how far you can go, and I don’t believe in limitations. For more information on Groomed Academy and Head Quarters Barbers and Beverages, visit the websites and follow them on Facebook. Groomed Barber Training Academy Web: www.groomedacademy.co.za Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Groomedacademy Head Quarters Barbers and Beverages UK Web: https://head-quarters.co.uk/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hqsbarbers/