Journey to send cargo gives birth to an entrepreneur: The Inspiring story of an African Entrepreneur in Dubai

By Desmond Nleya, Daily Times features Reporter
What started as a routine journey to send cargo back home changed a woman’s direction and brought her financial freedom.
After delivering her cargo, she visited a random hair salon in the city and the uncomfortable service gave birth to an idea.
She followed up on the idea of opening her own saloon that will offer unique and quality service to clients.
The saloon will transcend beyond hair styling but will also be a therapy, a place to connect, reconnect and network with people from different backgrounds and demographics.
Hence Divine Saloon was born in 2022.
This is the story of Alice, a Kenyan expat entrepreneur based in Dubai whose dream of achieving financial independence is worth recording and emulating for other upcoming entrepreneurs.
Daily Times news crew caught up with the soft-spoken lady who shared her inspiring journey of
being an employee to being an employer.
For 11 years, Alice had a stable corporate job, an enviable salary, and a career that many would aspire to have. But deep inside, something was missing. She felt a growing disconnect between her work and her passion.
The thought of starting a salon had always lingered in her mind, but it seemed like an impossible dream, especially in a place like Dubai, where competition was fierce, and entrepreneurship came with risks.
However, armed with a degree in Business Administration, Alice knew that her business knowledge could turn around any business, hence she gave the idea a shot.
Asked on the risks of quitting a job and starting a business in unknown waters, Alice shared wise words to potential entrepreneurs.
“Don’t quit your job before you start a business but first establish the business and give it 6 to 12 months of operating before quitting’, she warned.
She further lamented that running a business in Dubai was never a walk in the park due the City’s diverse population, competition and high standards.
‘Like every other business, running a saloon in Dubai is seasonal as during summer business is relatively low due to high temperatures’, she added.
On her clientele base, the focus is on catering to women of African descent, offering specialized hair care services like braiding, natural hair styling, and treatments for Afro-textured hair—something that was still underrepresented in Dubai’s beauty scene. At the same time, she aimed to serve women from different cultures, providing inclusive beauty services that celebrated diversity.
On future plans, Alice said she has a clear vision to expand her business brand throughout the UAE not only for Africans but across all races.
Alice’s story has become a beacon of hope for many women who dream of stepping out of their comfort zones to pursue their passions and have the courage to follow their dreams, no matter how impossible they appear.