Good hair that catches the eye

Striving for diversity
Not all hairstylists cater to every hair texture, but Tuwilika Hatutala does.
Rita Kakelo
Hairstyle By Tully, owned by Tuwilika Hatutala, works with all hair textures, and word on the street is that she is very good at it. “Clients usually show me a picture of how they want their hair done, and I do it exactly or better," Hatutala said.

She is motivated by a desire to achieve financial independence. This stems from her upbringing, as she was raised in a female-dominated household with women who strongly believed in achieving financial security as business owners.



Practice makes perfect

People say that if you practice something enough times, you will eventually be able to do it perfectly. Hatutala did, in fact, put this statement into action. “Growing up in a house full of ladies made practice easier because I could always use their hair to perfect my braiding skills.

“Aside from the ladies at home, I would always stay behind after school in high school just to do my teachers' hair.”

As a result, her clientele grew steadily. This expansion, however, created a temporary problem. She had no permanent station from which to provide her services.

As a result, from 2017 to 2019, she began doing house calls for hair services as a more convenient option for her customers. But when Covid-19 struck, she began braiding in her backyard.

She then officially joined the Ada's Creation team, a well-known make-up and hair studio, in early August 2021. This was a significant boost to her business because it introduced her to a broader client base. She is still employed there to this day, she said.

She is tasked with performing a variety of styles, such as weave-ins, wig installations, braiding and basic hair maintenance, and she provides these services to the youth, women working in corporate settings, children and even men who come in for grooming.

Hatutala narrated that she was born in the northern part of Namibia, in a small village called Okalongo in the Omusati Region, where she attended pre-school and grades one and two.

She then relocated to Windhoek to finish her primary, secondary and university education.

She has a bachelor's degree in travel, tourism, hospitality and events management from the International University of Management (IUM) and is currently pursuing an honours degree.