Usher the Barber sees global dreams from Gazebo ch...

Usher the Barber sees global dreams from Gazebo chairs

By Patience Muchemwa—Senior Reporter

At just 21, Kudakwashe Marisa—better known as Usher the Barber—is part of a quiet revolution sweeping across Africa’s cities. While unemployment drives many young people into despair, Usher has chosen a sharp path: clippers, creativity, and confidence.

“I want people to feel good about how they look,” he says with a grin, a reminder that his work is as much about self-esteem as it is about style.

How it started

Usher began by cutting hair at home before shifting to Gazebo Shopping Centre in Harare. The rent was steep; the clients were few. Most would have folded. He doubled down. “I created a WhatsApp group to share my cuts, and I learned new styles on TikTok,” he recalls. Slowly, his chairs filled up.

This resourcefulness echoes stories from Lagos, Nairobi, and Accra, where young barbers have turned salons into full lifestyle hubs—combining grooming with music, fashion, and even influencer culture.

The hustle vs. the game

Off the pitch, Usher is also a gifted footballer. But football often takes second place to his growing business. “Sometimes I miss matches because my clients come first,” he admits. The choice captures the trade-offs many African youths face: chasing dreams while anchoring themselves in practical livelihoods.

Cleanliness and godliness

Each day begins with sanitized tools, a swept floor, and an eye on quality. Sundays are reserved for church. “I won’t skip worshipping God, the one who blesses me,” he says firmly. Faith, hustle, and routine—an old African recipe now finding expression in new trades.

Consistency is king

Clients say it’s more than the haircut. It’s the brand. Usher markets himself with the consistency of a seasoned entrepreneur: punctual, innovative, and deeply committed. This mirrors global trends—barbers in New York, London, and Johannesburg have become Instagram stars, transforming barbering from a trade into a global subculture of style, swagger, and loyalty.

Portfolio in the making

Usher isn’t stopping at Gazebo. His ambition is to open Usher Barbers in Harare’s CBD, scaling into a bigger, sleeker shop where he can employ and train other youths. It’s the same expansion story seen across the continent—from young women braiding in Lusaka who now run training schools to South African barbers who launch their own product lines.

Possibilities abound

From a pair of clippers in a backroom to a dream of building a regional brand, Usher embodies a generation reshaping Africa’s youth narrative. He’s not only cutting hair—he’s cutting a new image of what is possible.

And in a world where barbering has evolved into a billion-dollar global industry, Usher the Barber stands as proof that the next global grooming brand could just as easily emerge from a corner shop in Harare as from a high-rise in Los Angeles.