From Kenyatta Market to your doorstep.
How we began
Braiding Nairobi began with our founder Natachi Onwuamaegbu.
As a Fulbright–National Geographic Storytelling Fellow, Natachi spent months in Nairobi's Kenyatta Market, interviewing female hair braiders and the key players who shape their lives. The stories she collected on her National Geographic blog surfaced something bigger than a research project: an economy that undervalues its most skilled women, and a chance to build something better with them.
In September 2022, that work became Braiding Nairobi.
It also became The Ndeza Collective — our home for the storytelling, photography, and social impact arm of what we do. Through articles profiling at least 20 people, alongside videos, photo collections, audio pieces, and a book, the Ndeza Collective uses storytelling and technology to turn braiding into dignified, independent work, and to grow that model beyond Kenyatta Market, Nairobi, and Kenya.
One year of stories, styles & sisterhood.
We recently celebrated our 1-year anniversary of Braiding Nairobi's success, bringing you the best hair styles and stylists, right to your door. We invited our loyal customers and spotlighted our talented braiders in our first ever braid-a-thon.
Meet our founder
A strong belief in the power of accessibility, storytelling, and tech.
Natachi Onwuamaegbu
Natachi Onwuamaegbu is an entrepreneur, journalist, and CEO and founder of Braiding Nairobi, a social enterprise by the Ndeza Collective that connects Kenya's professional braiders directly with clients, so skilled women earn more from the craft they've spent their lives mastering. She has written on race, art, and culture for The Washington Post, Al Jazeera English, Cosmopolitan, The Boston Globe, and more.
A Fulbright–National Geographic Storytelling Fellow (2022–23), Natachi documented the lives of braiders in Nairobi's Kenyatta Market for her National Geographic blog. She earned her BA with Honors in Political Science at Stanford, with minors in Creative Writing and African & African American Studies, and is now pursuing her MBA at London Business School. Her first book, How to Fall in Sane, is in its third draft.