What started as a casual braai with friends turned into one of Cape Town’s most loved grooming destinations. Founder Jorge Fernandes had reached a point in corporate life where he decided he wanted something different — a business where he could work in shorts every day, meet amazing people, and build something of his own. Three months later, DownTown Barbers was born.

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On 1 March 2019, we opened our doors to an industry we knew absolutely nothing about. Two non-barbers opening a barber shop? Let’s just say the industry had opinions. But what we lacked in experience, we made up for in passion, determination, and a willingness to learn every single day.

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Exactly one year later, on 1 March 2020, Moustache Barber Shop opened its doors in Camps Bay. Twenty-three days later, South Africa went into lockdown.

Like many businesses during COVID-19, we faced challenges we never imagined possible. Shops were closed, Camps Bay was empty, beaches and restaurants shut down, and some days we would arrive at work and not see a single client. Eventually, we had to close our Bree Street branch after surviving on only a handful of clients each month. It was heartbreaking — but giving up was never really an option.

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During one of the toughest periods of our lives, an opportunity came along to open a ladies salon in Camps Bay. With zero salon experience, a tiny budget, and absolutely nothing left to lose, we took the leap and opened Camps Bay Haute Coiffure in August 2020.

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The learning curve was massive, but slowly, the businesses began to grow. Then came another crazy opportunity — opening a second barber shop inside Virgin Active Collection. We were definitely in over our heads… but we said yes anyway.

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Fast forward through years of hard work, lessons, setbacks, wins, and unforgettable clients, and something incredible happened. Moustache Barber Shop won the Kfm Best of the Cape Award for Best Barber in 2022, 2023, and 2024, followed by Silver Best Barber in 2025. In the same year, Camps Bay Haute Coiffure proudly won Best Hairdresser 2025.

To us, those awards mean so much more than trophies — they represent every client who supported us, trusted us, voted for us, and became part of our story.

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At the heart of it all, we are simply a family business. Our daughter Donna is now 24, our son Tiago is 12 and still our biggest supporter, and every step of this journey has been built around creating something meaningful for our family and our team.

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We are proof that sometimes the craziest ideas — even ones started at a braai — can turn into something truly special.

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When you support our businesses, you support a local family dream.