- Tamia Nontsikelelo started wearing headwraps to conceal a personal hair struggle while studying
- She spent R2,000 on samples in 2024, turning a private insecurity into a business idea
- By 2025, Tol'Thema had expanded into clothing and opened its own showroom
Source: Facebook
A South African student who could not afford to manage her hair found an unexpected way forward. Rather than hiding, she built something from it.
Tamia Nontsikelelo, founder of the brand Tol Thema, shared her entrepreneurial journey on Instagram on 13 October 2026. Her self-filmed video used on-screen text to walk followers through how a personal insecurity became a fully-fledged business.
From headwraps to a showroom
It started simply. Tamia began wearing headwraps to conceal what she described as "my situation," a hair struggle she could not afford to fix at the time. Instead of waiting for circumstances to change, she leaned into the solution she had already found for herself.
In 2024, she spent R2,000 on product samples, testing the waters with headwraps. That modest investment marked the beginning of Tol'Thema. By 2025, the brand had grown well beyond its origins. Tamia expanded into clothing and opened a physical showroom, a milestone that would have seemed out of reach when she was a broke student wrapping her head to get through the day.
The contrast between where she started and where she stands now is what has struck a nerve with viewers across South Africa.
View the Instagram video below:
Mzansi rallies behind Tol Thema's founder
South Africans flooded the comments on her page with admiration and pride:
@noziqamngana wrote:
"Your story will forever be one of my favourite!!! 🫂❤"
@jun_yuh said:
"So proud of you!!"
@mamamiiah_24 added:
"😍😍😍😍 so proud T"
@indrive.za shared:
"What a beautiful story 🥹💚"
Tamia's story resonated because it did not start with capital or connections. It started with a problem she was living with every day, and a R2,000 bet on herself that paid off.
More Briefly News stories on businesses
- At 22, a Soweto entrepreneur built Revive Day Spa from a back room, overcame hardship and created jobs for young women, inspiring praise across South Africa.
- A South African farm mum reveals how an online business made R1 million profit in 26 months, changing life from empty fridges to family flights and a jungle gym.
- An elderly couple sells 3,000 amagwinya outside Johannesburg's Carlton Centre, earning R1,000 daily profit; their story exposes gaps in the informal economy.
Source: Briefly News
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