Hair salon near me: what it costs and how to choose

What each service costs in South Africa (lists read 6 Oct 2026)

How to choose a stylist

• Ask for close-up photos of the exact style, size and length you want, from the stylist's own Instagram or TikTok, with the hairline and parting in view.
• Check that the photos are their own work: the same salon, the same hands and a recent post. Ask for a short video or a photo from this month.
• Get the price in rand on WhatsApp before you travel, for your style, size and length. Ask whether braiding hair, a wash, VAT and take-down are included.
• Ask how many hours it will take and when they expect to finish. Knotless braids on the lists we read took 2.5 to 8.5 hours.
• Ask what the deposit is, whether it comes off the final bill, and what happens if you cancel or arrive late. Get the rules in writing on WhatsApp.
• Ask whether you bring the hair or they supply it, which type and how many packs. Do not buy hair until you know.
• Tell them how tight you want it before they start, and speak up the moment it stings. Pain, stinging, crusts or a scalp pulled up like a tent mean it is too tight.
• Ask whether combs, brushes and towels are cleaned or replaced between clients. Scalp ringworm spreads on shared combs, hairbrushes, hats and towels.
• For a child, ask whether the stylist works with children, how long a child has to sit, and whether a parent can stay.
• Pay only the deposit up front and the rest on the day. Keep the WhatsApp chat as your record of the price and the date.

What to know before you book a hair salon

Why there is no salon list yet

Luxora will list a stylist only after we have checked four things: that their work photos match installs on their own social accounts, that their WhatsApp number answers, that they have confirmed their prices, and that we know their suburb. Nobody has been through those checks yet, so the list is empty instead of padded with names we cannot stand behind.

A city page opens once three stylists there are verified. When yours opens, each stylist will show their own work photos, a from-price for each service, their suburb and a WhatsApp link. Verified means we confirmed those facts. It does not mean we guarantee how your hair turns out.

If you are a hairdresser who braids, installs wigs or works with natural hair, you can list your salon free. It takes about five minutes on your phone.

Where the prices on this page come from

Every range in the table comes from public price lists and booking pages we read on 6 Oct 2026: Fresha listings for Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Pretoria, a Durban salon's Booksy page, two Gauteng braiders' HeyGoldie pages, two salon price lists and a directory of mobile braiders. They are what stylists published, not quotes for your head.

The ranges cover adult styles from shoulder to about waist length. Hip length and longer, micro-size braids, boho or curly versions and human hair braids cost more. One Cape Town list that leaves out braiding hair goes up to R1,900 for small boho knotless braids in its top price column. Many Fresha listings say 'from', so ask for the price for your length and size.

Two stylists can quote very different prices for the same style. These are the usual reasons:

• Hair included or not. A Durban salon's list marks its braid prices as including extensions. A Cape Town city-centre list says its braiding prices exclude fibre. Several mobile braiders on Homesalon mark prices as excluding the hairpiece.
• Labour only, before VAT. A Pretoria and Cape Town salon lists labour only for most styles and quotes prices before 15% VAT. Its silk press is R900 or R1,100, plus VAT.
• Wash, detangling and take-down. These can be separate lines. The same salon prices detangling separately and charges R100 to R200 for a wash and blow before braiding.
• Call-out fees. Mobile braiders can add a call-out fee. Homesalon listings say their prices exclude it where it applies, and one braider's fee starts from R300.

What we saw in four cities

Where a list includes or leaves out braiding hair, we say so.

• Johannesburg (Fresha): knotless braids R500 to R1,200 depending on length, box braids from R500, frontal wig installs from R450, kids' styles R350 to R550.
• Cape Town (Fresha and one city-centre price list): knotless braids R450 to R650 on Fresha, box braids R550 to R650, kids' cornrows R250 to R350, and a silk press R350 to R550 on the city-centre list.
• Durban (one Booksy list, extensions included): knotless braids from R450 for jumbo to R1,000 for extra small, a basic wig install at R350 for 1.5 hours, and a full sew-in from R500.
• Pretoria (one HeyGoldie list and Fresha): knotless braids R450 to R950 across sizes, basic wig installs R350 to R550, and a locs retwist and wash at R575.
• We did not read price lists for other cities and towns, and prices in your area can differ.

Booking, deposits and cancelling

Deposits are normal, and the rules differ. A Pretoria braider's HeyGoldie page asks for a non-refundable R100 and lets you cancel or reschedule up to 24 hours before. A Pretoria and Cape Town salon asks for a non-refundable R200 booking fee that comes off your final bill, charges R150 for cancelling less than 24 hours before, and R125 if you arrive more than 10 minutes late.

A Thembisa braider asks for 50% up front, non-refundable, and keeps it if you cancel with less than 72 hours' notice. A Durban salon takes appointments only, with no walk-ins and no cash. Ask for the rules in writing on WhatsApp before you pay anything.

Tight is not normal

Getting your hair done should not hurt. The American Academy of Dermatology says that if a style is painful, it is too tight. It says to change your hairstyle straight away if you notice pain, stinging, crusts, or tenting, which is when the scalp is pulled up like a tent. Its advice includes loosening braids around the hairline, choosing thicker braids and locs, keeping them short, and wearing braids for no longer than 6 to 8 weeks.

The British Association of Dermatologists lists tight braids, weaves and extensions among the styles that cause traction alopecia. It says that if the problem is caught early, the hair can regrow completely once the tight style is stopped. Say so at the chair, and say it again if it stings.

Hygiene

Ask whether combs, brushes and towels are cleaned or replaced between clients. The British Association of Dermatologists says scalp ringworm spreads through close contact and by sharing combs, hairbrushes, hats, clothing and towels, and that it is most common in children. See a doctor if you notice a scaly scalp with hair loss, especially in a child, and stay away from the salon until it has cleared.

Which page do you need?

Braids of every kind, with kids' styles, are on the braiders page. Wig installs have their own page, covering what customising and wig lines add. Locs and retwists are on the locticians page, and the natural hair salons page covers wash and go, twists and silk press. If you are choosing a style first, start with the knotless braids or box braids pages.

Hair salons: questions