Locally made hair relaxer ZAZU hits snag
Written by Millennium on April 17, 2019
TWO women of Lusaka’s Lilanda Compound have complained that the increase in the number of saloons in the community where women go to blow their hairs instead of using their locally made hair relaxer known as ZAZU has killed business for them.
In an interview with the Sun, one of the women Margret Mumba said she started her business in 1991 and she had many clients because there was high demand for her cream.
She said however the tables had turned against her as most women who patronized saloons these days preferred blowing their hair as opposed to relaxing it using ZAZU cream.
Ms Mumba said in the past when the demand for her cream was high she used to make three or four buckets a day.
“When I started the business the cream used to be on demand and I used to make three or four buckets a day and that was when saloons were few in number lot of saloons were opened.
“This time around, we have many saloons and people go there to blow their hair instead of using the cream to make their hair soft, straight and easy to comb,” she said.
Ms Mumba said despite the reduction in the sales, that did not stop her from continuing with the business because one way of earning an honest income unlike sitting and begging for money from well-wishers.
Ms Mumba said through the same business she had managed to take care of her family and sent two of her children for tertiary education.
She said through the same business she managed to buy a plot and even built a house, something that she was proud of and was grateful to God.
She appealed to government to empower her finically so that she could grow in her business ventures.
And another resident Dorothy Ndobula said she started her business in 2006 and it had really helped her to buy food for her children and pay rentals.
Ms Ndobula said she used a chemical called caustic, Romoe soap, water and mealie meal to make the cream relaxer adding that the cream was not only meant for the hair but also to clean the house such as bathrooms, toilets, floor tiles, walls among others.
She said the cream was not dangerous when using with bare hands but it was a danger if someone swallowed it especially children.
