This start-up is making artificial hair from bananas | CNN (2024)

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World / Africa

By Leah Collins, CNN

4 minute read

Published 7:31 AM EDT, Fri June 7, 2024

This start-up is making artificial hair from bananas | CNN (2)

With her company Cheveux Organique, Ugandan entrepreneur Juliet Tumusiime produces hair extensions made from banana fibers. By providing naturally sourced and environmentally friendly alternatives to synthetic hair, Tumusiime hopes to empower women to make informed decisions about the beauty products they use. Scroll through the gallery to see more.

This start-up is making artificial hair from bananas | CNN (3)

The organic hair is ideal for braiding, says Tumusiime. Unlike synthetic alternatives, Cheveux Organique’s product can easily be styled, treated and colored. The hair is made to order and sells for $50 for 150g.

This start-up is making artificial hair from bananas | CNN (4)

Uganda is the world’s second-biggest banana producer, but cultivation leaves behind a large amount of waste stems. To produce the hair extensions, banana stems are first split into smaller pieces (pictured).

This start-up is making artificial hair from bananas | CNN (5)

The fibers are then dried and treated. Once processed, the banana stems have the appearance, texture and consistency of human hair.

This start-up is making artificial hair from bananas | CNN (6)

The process of extracting the fibers is largely manual, notes Tumusiime, who aims to mechanize the process in the coming years. Her company employs 25 full-time employees and over 100 part-time workers to collect the waste banana stems from farms.

This start-up is making artificial hair from bananas | CNN (7)

The small amount of waste produced from the process is upcycled into intricate interior decor, such as woven baskets, mats, tables and tapestries – which Cheveux Organique sells.

This start-up is making artificial hair from bananas | CNN (8)

The hair comes in three shades: Cheveux Brown, Cheveux Black and Cheveux Blonde (pictured). When dry, the hypoallergenic hair can be oiled and can withstand dryers and heat up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, lasting weeks longer than synthetic alternatives, according to Tumusiime.

This start-up is making artificial hair from bananas | CNN (9)

As well as producing organic hair, Tumusiime aims to educate young people on the positive impacts of sustainable waste management and recycling by opening regional educational hubs.

Plant-based hair: This entrepreneur is innovating with banana-plant waste

CNN

During a visit to a local farm while working with development agency USAID, Ugandan entrepreneur Juliet Tumusiime realized that a huge amount of banana stems are left over from banana cultivation and simply discarded. Looking for a way to use the waste, she struck upon an innovative business idea.

Almost a decade later, now aged 42, Tumusiime is the chief executive and co-founder of Cheveux Organique, which manufactures hair made from banana fibers as an alternative to synthetic extensions.

Fashion trends among the younger population and growing purchasing power have boosted the market for hair extensions and wigs in the Africa and the Middle East, which could be worth $710 million by 2028, according to Research and Markets.

Extensions are typically made from human hair, or synthetic materials such as nylon, polyester, acrylic and PVC. Synthetics are popular in Uganda because they’re much cheaper, but they’re not biodegradable or easy to recycle. Some people complain that synthetic hair can irritate their scalp and a study of synthetic hair in Nigeria found the presence of potentially harmful heavy metals and chemicals.

“I’ve spoken to friends, colleagues, both men and women and asked them how they dispose of their hair when they take it out,” Tumusiime says. “A lot of the time it is just thrown in the trash. The level of awareness is really low - most people don’t realize that they are wearing plastic on their head which can irritate the skin and cause pollution.

“Our mission is to transform the beauty industry by providing alternatives that benefit their health and the environment. We want to empower women to make informed decisions about what hair they use and what’s best for them.”

Tumusiime says that, unlike synthetic hair, her product is biodegradable, durable and can be easily styled, treated and colored. It can also be rewashed with warm water and conditioned with detangling cream. When dry, the hypoallergenic hair can be oiled and can withstand dryers and heat up to 400 degrees, lasting weeks longer than synthetic alternatives, according to Tumusiime.

Since it’s made from discarded banana stems, she adds, it’s also a way to help curb that waste.

This start-up is making artificial hair from bananas | CNN (10)

Around the world, transport startups are embracing electric vehicles, and those in Africa are no different. Spiro, an e-bike and battery-swapping startup founded in Benin, is one of the leading providers of electric two-wheelers on the continent. In 2023, it announced it would be expanding to Kenya, with a rollout of 1.2 million electric vehicles. Scroll through the gallery to see more African companies that are finding new ways to innovate.

This start-up is making artificial hair from bananas | CNN (11)

In Kenya, startups BasiGo and Roam are developing electric alternatives to Nairobi’s ubiquitous matatus (privately owned and operated minibuses). BasiGo is importing bus kits from China and assembling them locally, while the Roam buses (pictured) are designed and built in Kenya.

This start-up is making artificial hair from bananas | CNN (12)

Other startups are working on even more innovative transport solutions. South African aerospace startup Cloudline is building solar-powered autonomous airships designed for deliveries, aerial monitoring and inspection. The 18-meter (60-foot) long blimps can carry up to 40 kilograms (88 pounds), with a flight range of up to 400 kilometers (249 miles).

This start-up is making artificial hair from bananas | CNN (13)

Cloudline is far from the only company embracing solar power. Nigerian startup Reeddi is looking to improve energy access with its lightweight solar-powered batteries that can be rented to customers for 24 hours and are able to power devices including TVs, laptops and refrigerators. The technology was one of the finalists for Prince William’s 2023Earthshot Prize.

This start-up is making artificial hair from bananas | CNN (14)

Startups are also innovating to improve healthcare. South Africa’s Pelebox has developed a system of internet-enabled lockers that dispense medication for chronic conditions to patients, helping to cut down queues and ease pressure on hospital resources.

This start-up is making artificial hair from bananas | CNN (15)

In the travel space, Bongalo is vying to become an African alternative to Airbnb. The company, which was founded in Cameroon and is now based in Rwanda, has more than 6,000 listings across the two countries. Properties can be booked via the website or an app.

This start-up is making artificial hair from bananas | CNN (16)

Africa’s beauty and personal care market is growing fast, but there's still a lack of products tailored towards Black skin. Uncover, a Kenyan skincare brand, says it wants to fill this gap by providing healthy cosmetics that put African women first. It uses digital tools to find out its customers’ needs and offers online skincare consultations.

How African startups are embracing innovation

Uganda is Africa’s largest producer and consumer of bananas, producing about 10 million metric tons of bananas per day. Ugandans consume almost one kilogram of the fruit per person, per day, with more than 75% of the population relying on bananas as a staple food, according to the World Economic Forum.

Cheveux Organique works closely with local banana farmers, buying stems that would otherwise be discarded. The stems are split and the fibers extracted by machine. The extracted fibers are then dried and treated, before being combed out, resulting in the hair-like texture.

The “hair” is dyed into three shades: Cheveux Black, Cheveux Brown and Cheveux Blonde. Tumusiime says it has a natural sheen, is soft to the touch and can be used for braiding and styling. It’s also suitable for warm and humid climates, she notes.

This start-up is making artificial hair from bananas | CNN (17)

Made from banana fibers, the hair extensions are dyed into three shades, including Cheveux Blonde.

The company isn’t unique in creating plant-based hair. In the US, St.Louis-based Rebundle also sells hair extensions made from banana fibers, while Nourie Hair offers a hair alternative for braiding made from Ginseng root extract and rosemary.

However, turning banana waste into a premium product does not come without challenges for Cheveux Organique. “The labor-intensive process, from picking the stems, transporting them to the facility, extracting the stems, treating them and the power needed to use this – it causes the product to become pricey,” Tumusiime says.

Cheveux Organique sells its plant-based hair in Uganda, and as fair afield as the US, France and the UK. It retails for $50 for 150 grams (5.3 ounces), which Tumusiime says is cheaper than a typical $185 for a similar amount of human hair. But synthetic hair can be bought for as little as $1 for a bundle.

“This is something that we are hugely concerned about, and we are trying to find ways to mechanize the business and produce volumes of hair whilst continuing to break even,” Tumusiime says. “The people paying these prices are getting a premium product at the end of it – and it’s about the long-term benefits that this product brings.”

Tumusiime says her startup, which currently employs 25 permanent staff members and 100 part-time workers for waste gathering, is in the process of creating regional hubs, which will function as extraction centers, as well as an education point for young people. The hubs will train future generations on the positive impacts of waste management, as well as giving young people skillsets – such as extraction and machine operation – that will equip them for future careers.

“We want to make sure that this brand is a household name,” Tumusiime says. “We want to become leaders in this industry despite challenges. But I’m passionate about what I’m doing. I’m not about to give up. I do everything possible to make sure that I achieve my objectives and achieve the vision for which I started this organization.”

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This start-up is making artificial hair from bananas | CNN (2024)
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