I recently found myself in a local salon, getting my daughter and niece ready for the upcoming school term. It was supposed to be a routine visit; just a little back-to-school grooming, but as I settled into the comfortable chair and watched the buzz of women working around me, something far more meaningful unfolded.

The salon owner, Sibongile, moved confidently between her clients, her voice calm, her hands assured. As someone who works with entrepreneurs, I’m always alert to stories that don’t make headlines but quietly shape our communities. Sibongile’s story, as she shared it while gently parting my niece’s hair, struck me deeply.

She began her business in 2015 with two chairs, one mirror, and a dream. The garage where she started has since transformed into a vibrant hair studio, a place of economic activity, mentorship, and sisterhood. “I didn’t know where it would go,” she said, “but I knew I had to try.”

Sibongile’s entrepreneurial path, like many others, was riddled with challenges. From navigating informal setups to surviving without funding. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, she was forced to close her doors. “No clients, no money. I thought that was the end,” she confessed. But it wasn’t. Sibongile reinvented herself. She started producing and selling the same natural hair oils and treatments she used in the salon, delivering them by hand and staying connected to her clients even while her chairs were empty.

Today, she employes five other women and mentors young aspiring beauty business owners. Her salon is more than a place to get your hair done, it is a hub of opportunity. “I want to be the support I never had,” she told me. “That’s what freedom means to me. I celebrate it by lifting others as I grow.”

As we approach Freedom Day on April 27, Sibongile’s story reminds us that economic freedom is just as vital as political freedom. Her grandmother, who also braided hair, never had the opportunity to turn that skill into a business. “She couldn’t own a salon. She couldn’t register a company. I’m enjoying a freedom she was denied.”

For many entrepreneurs, Freedom Day is not about formal celebrations, but about quietly acknowledging the right to build, fail, and rise again. They mark the day by mentoring others, investing in their communities, and reflecting on their journey. As someone who works closely with entrepreneurs, I believe our responsibility is to create spaces where those freedoms are protected, where risk is not punished, and resilience is rewarded.

Sibongile’s journey is a testament to what Freedom Day truly stands for. It’s about the right to dream, to act on those dreams, and to build something lasting even in the face of uncertainty. Her story is not just inspiring; it’s a call to honour the freedom many fought for by supporting and believing in the power of local enterprise.

Tsakani Nkombyane is a Programme Officer of 22 On Sloane