Janet Dete and Damaris Kuria are 25-year-old circular design entrepreneurs from Kenya transforming discarded synthetic hair into products and livelihoods.

Queening Afrika addresses the growing waste stream created by non-biodegradable synthetic hair. Its digital collection system connects salons and households, gathering used hair that would otherwise be discarded and processing it into durable fibers. Those fibers become Afrocentric products including handbags and home décor. By linking collection, material recovery and production, the enterprise reduces plastic waste while creating paid work for women and young people in underserved communities. The model treats a familiar feature of everyday life—and an often overlooked source of pollution—as the starting point for a locally rooted circular economy.

Dete and Kuria lead Queening Afrika’s day-to-day operations. They develop products, build partnerships, expand the digital collection system and create opportunities for women and young people through the enterprise’s collection, processing and production network.