How Zoey Mkabela Built Volumicious into a Hair Empowerment Empire
How Zoey Mkabela Built Volumicious into a Hair Empowerment Empire. In 2016, Zoey Mkabela faced a deeply personal challenge, hair loss during pregnancy. Drawing on her research at the University of Stellenbosch, Zoey discovered a groundbreaking plant compound that sparked her mission: to create effective, natural hair-growth solutions. That spark gave birth to Volumicious, a multi‑award winning hair‑care brand rooted in healing, empowerment, and community impact. Her journey offers real lessons in purpose‑driven branding, strategic pivots, and resilience.
From Personal Struggle to Purpose‑Led Brand
Zoey transformed her own experience of hair loss into a movement. Volumicious was created to offer a permanent solution for all types of hair challenges, alopecia, breakage, thinning and more. Her tagline, “My hair – My crown,” reflects the brand’s belief that hair health supports dignity and identity. By tying the brand to real struggles, she connected deeply with her audience.
Actionable insight: Build your brand from personal purpose. Authentic stories create emotional resonance and trust.
Bootstrapping with Bold Ambition
Zoey started from humble beginnings, selling her products from the trunk of her car while working a full‑time job. She funneled every cent of her salary into her dream, skipping loans and investors. In 2020, disciplined saving allowed her to launch the first Volumicious Hair Clinic, followed by a second in 2023. Both ventures were financed without loans, proving that grit can raise capital one step at a time.
Actionable insight: Don’t wait on external funding. Turn discipline into growth capital and keep control of your vision.
Empowerment Through Employment and Distribution
Zoey built Volumicious with purpose beyond profit. Clinics create jobs, while distributor programmes offer income opportunities for others. As she told LinkedIn, “I didn’t start this business to chase money but my WHY was to help people”. Her ecosystem blends economic empowerment with brand growth.
Actionable insight: Empower your community by turning businesses into platforms for economic opportunity.
Positioning Hair Clinics as Safe Spaces
Volumicious clinics aren’t salons, they are “places of healing and hope”. This positioning placed them above conventional beauty treatments, turning clinics into therapeutic sanctuaries. Clients seeking recovery in their hair growth journey found understanding and support, not just styling.
Actionable insight: Elevate your offerings by addressing deeper emotional needs, not just functional benefits.
Showcasing Results Through Clinics and Content
A strong digital presence backs Volumicious’ clinics. Tiktok continues to showcase hair‑transformation stories, before-and-after visuals, and real client journeys. These consistent, relatable posts validate the brand’s promise and keep momentum alive.
Actionable insight: Use real results and client stories in content. Social proof builds credibility and drives revenue.
Milestones Mapped With Strategy
- Brand founded, rooted in research and personal experience
- Products sold directly from her car, zero external funding
- First Volumicious Hair Clinic opened
- Second clinic launched, fueling job creation
- Multi‑award recognition for innovation in natural hair growth
Each step reinforced brand promise and community impact.
Actionable insight: Monumental milestones don’t require massive capital, highlight each step publicly to build trust.
Navigating Adversity with Faith and Fortitude
Zoey faced personal losses and even betrayal. On LinkedIn, she shared how friendships faded as her business grew. Yet, she leaned on her faith, calling her ministry “God’s business” and committing to serve “the broken, the discouraged, the misfits”. Facing adversity with purpose gave her brand resilience and authenticity.
Actionable insight: Anchor your business in deeper values. Purpose can buoy you through public storms and private doubts.
Seven Lessons from Volumicious’ Rise
- Let personal journey guide your mission
- Bootstrap growth with discipline, not debt
- Empower others through jobs and distribution
- Elevate services by addressing emotional needs
- Build trust with real client results
- Celebrate each milestone as proof of movement
- Stand by your values when challenges arise
Final Reflection
Volumicious under Zoey Mkabela is more than a hair‑care brand, it is a story of healing, empowerment and spiritual purpose. From research lab to clinic door, every element serves a higher calling. For aspiring founders, her example shows that growth is a journey paved by grit, purpose and unwavering belief. When passion aligns with impact, a brand stops being about profit and starts being about legacy.
