Chronicle Editor
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Gwanda Correspondent
BARBERS and hairdressers have resorted to house calls in a bid to raise cash during the prevailing lockdown.
Barber shops and salons have remained closed after President Mnangagwa issued a lockdown order that has seen only those offering essential services operating.
The President extended the lockdown by two weeks on Sunday. During the lockdown people have been urged to maintain social distancing to curb the spread of Covid-19.
Barbers and hairdressers have taken advantage of social media platforms to secure bookings. They visit their clients at their homes or invite them to their houses for haircuts and hairdo, violating the lockdown and overlooking the rule of social distancing.
A barber from the town (Gwanda), Mr Philisani Nkomo said this strategy was not highly effective but he was getting some cash from it.
“I have been a barber for 11 years and this has been my main source of income for these years. With the prevailing lockdown things have been tough for me as we were ordered to close our barber shops. For the first few days of the lockdown I was just at home until some of my customers started calling me on my cell phone asking if they could get haircuts,” he said.
“I then decided to collect my equipment from the barbershop and took it home which is where I’m now operating from. I have been making follow ups with my clients whose contacts I have checking if they need haircuts. I normally communicate with them on WhatsApp. When I find a client, who needs my services I go to their house or they come to mine. It’s really not the same because my clientele is now people that I can contact or those near me but while I was operating from the shop, I would frequently get first time clients. If your business is in the open anyone can just walk in or anyone can be referred to you thereby increasing your number of clients.”
Mr Nkomo said on a good day he used to get about 10 clients but under the prevailing conditions he was attending to two or three customers per day.
He said he did not have protective clothing to use such as masks or gloves but he has to earn a living during the lockdown. Mr Nkomo said his clients were also forthcoming for him to go to their houses or for them to come to his.
Mr Nkomo said social distancing was not an option for him if he wanted to put food on the table for his family.
Ms Monica Moyo who is a hairdresser said she had also resorted to house calls in order to make money. She said business was however not the same when working from home.
Ms Moyo said some of her clients were opting to maintain a natural look as they were spending their time indoors.
“I have resorted to making follow ups on my clients in order to make money. Some of them are forthcoming but a few are going for fancy hairstyles as they are spending most of their time at home. Some of my clients have opted to maintain a natural look as they are spending their time at home hence, they don’t want hairdo’s. This a very difficult time for us as hairdressers especially for me as that is my only source of income,” she said. — @DubeMatutu
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