The shifting image of black women's hair in Tshwane (Pretoria), South Africa

In this article, we explore the motivations for the changing image of black South African women's hair in Tshwane, Pretoria. We argue that black South African women's hair, in the past, as in the present, has largely been misconstrued. We demonstrate that like all black South African inhabitants, South African women's hair has had its own fair share of ridicule, ostracizing, and racial classification. As a result of this, black South African women's hair is constantly in motion, searching for recognition and appreciation. The article is based on a review of literature and interviews conducted with 30 black South African women in Tshwane, Pretoria, from July to September in 2015 and in August 2016.

Authors

Publication Details

Journal
Human Science Research Council SA
Published
2026-05-23
DOI
https://doi.org/10.14749/32381805
Primary Topic
African Sexualities and LGBTQ+ Issues
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

The shifting image of black women's hair in Tshwane (Pretoria), South Africa

Human Sciences Research Council
Human Science Research Council SA
African Sexualities and LGBTQ+ Issues
article

The shifting image of black women's hair in Tshwane (Pretoria), South Africa

Human Sciences Research Council
article en

Abstract

In this article, we explore the motivations for the changing image of black South African women's hair in Tshwane, Pretoria. We argue that black South African women's hair, in the past, as in the present, has largely been misconstrued. We demonstrate that like all black South African inhabitants, South African women's hair has had its own fair share of ridicule, ostracizing, and racial classification. As a result of this, black South African women's hair is constantly in motion, searching for recognition and appreciation. The article is based on a review of literature and interviews conducted with 30 black South African women in Tshwane, Pretoria, from July to September in 2015 and in August 2016.

Human Science Research Council SA
Gender equality
Openalex Percentile: Top 3%
African Sexualities and LGBTQ+ Issues
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