Hi Beautiful people! My name is Tlhologelo Mabelane, founder of MabuTribe. My vision and the heart of MabuTribe is the Celebration of African Identity. I believe that how we see ourselves (identity) informs how we show up in the world. MabuTribe was birthed from my own personal journey of self-embrace and celebration. This journey was ignited by a failed first attempt to salvage my thinning, over-processed hair, by trying to grow it without chemically straightening it. This was a failed attempt because I didn’t know how to care for and style my now coily hair and I felt less affirmed in my beauty when in my coils. So, despite my personal dislike of the harsh chemicals, the skin irritations I would often get and my hair’s negative reaction to the chemicals, I went back and continued to use them.
What bothered me the most was that there was a part of me I felt disempowered to celebrate (active appreciation of something informed by an understanding and recognition of its worth/value). I then decided to embark on a journey of self-celebration starting with my hair. I was determined to embrace my hair as it grows from its root and bring it to its ultimate health. After vigorously trying a variety of great products I still struggled to find products that managed to resolve moisture retention issues for my dry, very coarse and tightly coiled hair in the dry Johannesburg climate. I was also looking for products that were pro health and not harmful to my hair or scalp in the long run. So, I then began my long process of research to finding the right mix of nature’s ingredients that would bring my hair to health and allow me to enjoy it.
I began using my products and my hair was flourishing, people around began asking me to make them monthly supplies of what I using. I quickly realized that there were many others who were experiencing the same hair challenges as I was. These people inspired me to ultimately create a product line to empower many more to celebrate and enjoy their natural coily crowns! I believe that everyone deserves to have healthy hair. I also believe that all hair is a design and everyone should feel that growing it out the way it comes from its roots is a real option by being equipped to do so. Thus my mission through MabuTribe is to replenish the crowns of Africans with health and empower them to enjoy it.