Weekend Read
Congolese-born entrepreneur Gisela Van Houcke is redefining beauty for Black women through Zuri, a brand that offers high-quality hair and beauty products.
Van Houcke was in the UK, living between two continents and two cultures. She always wondered why high-quality beauty products for Black women were so challenging to find. The shelves were stocked, but not for women with kinky hair or dark skin tones like hers.
That question, “Why not us too?” planted a seed in her heart, and what started as a personal pain point soon blossomed into a business idea that would shake the African beauty industry.
The birth of Zuri
Van Houcke started her business by listening to herself and then to the women around her. Friends, relatives, and even strangers shared her complaint about the lack of products that truly catered to their hair’s texture and skin tone. So, she took a leap.
She began selling hair extensions—not the synthetic, single-use kind flooding markets, but premium, long-lasting extensions sourced from top-tier suppliers. Within a few months, she had moved nearly $50,000 worth of product. With this, “Zuri,” meaning beautiful in Swahili, was born.
The Zuri Effect
Zuri Luxury Hair specialises in premium hair extensions and related beauty products. The company sources its products globally and ensures high standards of quality to meet the needs of its modern clientele.
As of 2024, Zuri boasts over 20,000 loyal customers, 60 passionate employees, and over 500,000 engaged social media followers. Over the years, the brand has established itself as a major player in East Africa’s beauty market, with plans to expand further. They have raised $1.25 million over four rounds, with their latest funding round being an Angel round in June 2024.
From day one, Zuri has been unapologetically about Black women. The female founder built Zuri to reflect the richness and different shades of African beauty.
The business scaled quickly, expanding into multiple countries with over 10 resellers and a holding company in China to manage global production. Amidst this growth, it never lost its focus on giving Black women products they could trust and feel proud of.
Empowerment for other businesses
Entrepreneurs in Van Houcke’s network have also benefited from Zuri’s growth. They now run thriving businesses because she opened a door. Through Zuri, opportunities have extended to resellers, stylists, and local communities, thus creating jobs for many African communities.
In 2018, Forbes Africa named Gisela Van Houcke on their 30 Under 30 list. Today, Zuri’s influence stretches across East Africa and into the beauty capitals of Europe, including France and Belgium. With the help of e-commerce, physical salons, and a growing digital presence, the brand is reaching more women in the African diaspora.
