From a kitchen to Clicks, Takealot, and a national award – Masodi Organics became the clearest signal of where South Africa’s R9.5 billion hair care market is heading next.
Masodi Organics founder Liz Letsoalo built a hair care brand from her kitchen using the same rigour she applied in global boardrooms – and a single, and a single, forward-thinking idea: treat your scalp like your face.
On the surface, Liz made an unusual career move. An Industrial Engineer with experience at McKinsey and Unilever, she walked away from the kind of professional trajectory most strategy consultants spend decades building – and went into her kitchen to mix hair care formulations and sending them off for clinical testing.
That was 2018.
Today, Masodi – named after her mother – has grown into one of South Africa’s most recognisable homegrown beauty brands. Its products are stocked by major retailers like Clicks, Takealot, Superbalist, and Amazon. It’s range now includes more than 25 products. In early 2026, the brand won a GLAMOUR Gold Beauty Award for its Hairline Fortifying Serum, while Letsoalo was named GLAMOUR’s Beauty Game Changer of the Year.
The idea behind the brand is simple, but powerful: your scalp is skin, and it should be treated that way.
The market opportunity
South Africa’s hair care market is valued at approximately R9.5 billion in 2026 and is projected to reach R12.6 billion by 2031, growing at a compound annual rate of 5.87 percent, according to Mordor Intelligence. That headline number, however, understates the strategic opportunity. The premium segment is growing at 7.08 percent CAGR – meaningfully faster than the overall market – signaling a category-wide trade-up that directly benefits brands positioned on science-backed formulation and ingredient quality.
Conditioners lead the market at roughly 32 percent share, driven by the pervasive moisture needs of textured and chemically treated hair. The online retail channel, dramatically accelerated by the pandemic, has opened a scalable direct-to-consumer route that gives founder-led brands national reach without dependence on traditional pharmacy buyers. And Euromonitor’s research captures something equally important: a rising consumer preference for local brands, with South Africans increasingly willing to pay more for products that speak to their specific needs – and that keep their money in the local economy.
Continental context
The broader African hair care market is growing at 8.1% CAGR through 2029, according to Technavio, outpacing most global regions. South Africa and Nigeria lead Sub-Saharan Africa’s development, with the region’s diverse hair textures and historically limited local manufacturing creating both the structural gap and the commercial opening for founder-led brands to scale.
The skinification thesis
The concept anchoring Masodi’s premium positioning has a name that the global beauty industry has now broadly adopted: skinification – the application of dermatological science, clinical actives, serum formats, and microbiome care to the hair and scalp.
For years, haircare has largely stayed the same – built around basic shampoo-and-conditioner routines. Meanwhile, skincare has evolved rapidly, with consumers becoming more aware of ingredients, routines, and targeted treatments. Letsoalo saw that gap early on and built Masodi Organics to bridge it.
Her approach focuses on caring for the scalp as the foundation of healthy hair – paying attention to things like dryness, irritation, and overall scalp health in a way that feels familiar to anyone who already invests in skincare.
For years, haircare has largely stayed the same – built around basic shampoo-and-conditioner routines. Meanwhile, skincare has evolved rapidly, with consumers becoming more aware of ingredients, routines, and targeted treatments. Letsoalo saw that gap early on and built Masodi Organics to bridge it.
Her approach focuses on caring for the scalp as the foundation of healthy hair – paying attention to things like dryness, irritation, and overall scalp health in a way that feels familiar to anyone who already invests in skincare.
What sets the brand apart is not just the idea, but the consistency behind it. From early testing in her kitchen to shelves in national retailers, Letsoalo has stayed focused on building products that are both thoughtful and effective.
The result is a brand that feels modern, grounded, and increasingly hard to ignore – proof that sometimes, the most impactful ideas are also the most straightforward.
“Treating the scalp with the same clinical care as facial skin was never a trend for us. It was the starting point.” Liz Letsoalo, Founder & CEO, Masodi Organics
