Is the reopening of the beauty industry imminent?

On Sunday 14 June, eNCA broadcast an interview with Small Business and Development Minister, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, in which she stated that all protocols are in place for salons in all sectors of the beauty industry to reopen.

The Minister indicated that the protocols would be approved by latest Wednesday 17 June, subject to the go-ahead from the Medical Advisory Council.

In the meantime, on 12 June, management at UASA, The Union, sent its members an SMS update on their engagement with government. It reads: “After extended and urgent discussions with Government via Fedusa regarding the pending opening of the Personal Care sector, it was positively concluded late yesterday afternoon. It is our belief that the Personal Care sector will be back in operations within 10 days.”

However hopeful the above developments sound, it’s worth nothing that in the past few weeks, there have been several stories about the imminent opening of the personal sector that have come to nothing.

On 11 June, an attorney acting for the EOHCB (Employers Organisation for Hairdressing Cosmetology Beauty) and the National Bargaining Council lodged an application at the Pretoria High Court, following Government’s failure to publish the Sector-specific Regulations for the Personal Care Sector under Alert Level 3. The court date is scheduled for Tuesday, 23 June 2020 at 10h00.