Shades & Layers
Shades and Layers is a storytelling platform celebrating Black women and women of colour who are building something of their own — on the African continent and across the diaspora.
The podcast launched in 2020 and is now more than 100 episodes strong. In 2025, the show was nominated for Best Long-Time Podcast at the Black Podcasting Awards.
In each conversation, host Kutloano Skosana sits down with founders to explore business ownership, representation, and what sustainability and success really mean in a complex, interconnected world. The conversations are wide-ranging — part masterclass in entrepreneurship, part wisdom for living well — and always a space for women to be fully human: to share the quirks, the doubts, and the vulnerabilities behind the highlight reel.
These days, Shades and Layers is two things woven together. Alongside the podcast, Kutloano — now exploring a new chapter of her own in Italy — sends Life Notes: honest monthly letters on identity, motherhood, reinvention, and the business of building a life.
Shades and Layers’ founding philosophy is: a story well told can change your life, you don't need big accolades for your entrepreneurial journey to matter.
The guests span beauty, fashion, and wellness, North and South: Dr. Theo Mothoa-Frendo on building a science-based African skincare range with USO; Taryn Gill of The Perfect Hair on supply chains and brand-building; Katonya Breux of Unsun Cosmetics on melanin and sunscreen for every skin tone; Abiola Akanni of IYA Well on non-performance in yoga; and designers like the late Maria McCloy of her eponymous fashion label, Nkuli Mlangeni-Berg of The Ninevites, and Candace Lawrence of Modern Gesture, championing handmade, custom, and circular production.
Whether you're here to listen, to read, or to build something of your own — welcome to the circle.
Shades & Layers
Swirly Curly and Easy with Keziah Dhamma (S6, E10)
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Today my guest is Keziah Dhamma, founder and CEO of Swirly Curly Hair, a luxury natural hair care and education company.
So, what started out as a company making snap-on hair ties (Snapees) for curly and kinky haired folks, has evolved into a fully-fledged product company with an education platform to support individuals on their natural hair journey.
With more than 10 thousand members in its community, Swirly Curly Hair is looking to go even bigger in the next few years, as they contemplate getting into the retail space.
In our conversation, she gives the details of exactly what the Swirly Curly method entails, how she went about developing the curriculum for members of her community and how she transitioned from one stage of the company to the next. She also gets into surviving Covid, writing a book and balancing all that with having three children in quick succession.
Enjoy the episode!
LINKS, MENTIONS AND GIFTS
Keziah Dhamma is also the host of Hey Curlfriend, a podcast dedicated to the Swirly Curly community and others who want to learn more about caring for their natural hair.
Curl College is where you can learn how to take care of your curls using the Swirly Curly Method. You can also buy Keziah's book which outlines this method with illustrations.
And just for being a Shades and Layers listener, you get a 15% discount on your order when using the code podcast15 at checkout.
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