Congratulations to South Africa’s Keune Stylist Award 2026 Winners
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
mhb, exclusive distributor of Keune in South Africa, is proud to announce Nicola Smit and Irene da Fonseca as the national winners of the Keune Stylist Awards 2026.
Marking the first time South Africa has participated in the international competition, the two winning stylists will now go on to represent the country at the Keune Global Stylist Awards 2026, competing against winners from participating countries around the world.
The Keune Global Competition officially launched on 12 May, bringing together winners from participating countries for evaluation on an international platform. The global judging panel is led by Eelco Keune, third-generation owner of Keune Haircosmetics, alongside internationally recognised cutting and styling expert Luke Benson. They are joined by a powerhouse panel including Giuseppe Stelitano, Sergi Bancells and Jayne Lewis Orr, all respected names with decades of influence across the global professional hair industry.
Keep an eye on socials for Global Winner announcements!
Colour Category Winner: Nicola Smit
Nicola Smit has built a signature style that combines soft, romantic beauty with bold contemporary colour work. Her winning “Soft Tech” concept drew inspiration from the 2026 Pantone palette, blending cool blondes with dusty mauves, soft lilacs, muted magentas and flashes of vibrant yellow. The result was an editorial colour melt that felt futuristic yet wearable, perfectly aligned with Keune’s the luxury.
For Nicola, owner of Hair by Nicola Smit in Mossel Bay, the award arrives at a time as she settles into life in the Western Cape. She hopes the recognition will unlock new opportunities for collaboration and education, while continuing to encourage stylists to remain lifelong students of the craft.
Style Category Winner: Irene da Fonseca
Johannesburg-based curl specialist Irene da Fonseca earned the Style Category win for her celebration of natural texture. Her award-winning entry focused on enhancing the model’s natural curl pattern without manipulation, using thoughtful product selection to let the texture speak for itself. The recognition celebrates Irene’s technical artistry and reinforces her mission to help clients embrace and celebrate their natural hair.
Irene is the founder of The Zhoosh Cut Curl Studio in Greenside, South Africa’s first salon dedicated exclusively to curls and natural texture. She plans to further grow both her craft and the curl community through education and advocacy.
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