Meet the Founder!

Kelly Manus is the heart and hands behind K for Kurls™️💚

Her love for hair began long before she realised it. Her mother lovingly called her “Krulle” because her hair was always a full Krullebos — thick, lively, and full of character.

Family members often praised her texture, calling it “uit die kopvel uit”, as if that made it better or more valuable. Those early compliments, though meant with love, planted a seed. Kelly began to notice how deeply our kulture was shaped by texturism — the idea that some kurl patterns were more beautiful or acceptable than others. 💧

Growing up, beauty often meant pain. Kelly was introduced to a clothing iron, being a heating tool to get straight and shiny hair, performing the straightening process with a handoekie— a method known as True Cape Coloured Style. 🕯️

Kelly remembers she was just 8 years old, bending over the strykplank, feeling the heat, and hoping to look beautiful, too. Those memories became symbols of how many young women learned to conform — to burn, stretch, and hide their natural texture in the pursuit of “perfect” hair.Yet deep down, Kelly always admired big, bold, natural Afros — hair that defied heat and gravity alike. 🌳

Phrases like kroeskop, afkop, and choefkop echoed through the community Kelly grew up in. As a child, she was often called Tina Turner, a nickname that seemed playful at first, yet carried hidden weight.🫂

While she was never directly called afkop or choefkop, she saw how deeply those words cut into the hearts of others — especially those already struggling with their hair, identity, and confidence. These labels were not harmless jokes; they reflected generations brainwashed into believing that natural hair was something to fix or hide. Out of this painful truth, K for Kurls was born — a brand rooted in healing, growth, and self-acceptance.🩵

 Just like a harvest, growth comes when we nurture the roots and care for the field — including unlearning the words that once made us shrink.🌿

That’s why our products are weather-inspired: KurlMist restores the dryness hair endures from heating tools and hair dye, followed by KurlRain — raindrops from the sky that nurture the scalp, creating the perfect environment for growth. This is what K for Kurls offers: restoration, nourishment, and renewal for every kurl ready to flourish.

🏆In 2019 Kelly transitioned but later In 2020, at 21 years old, she did her first big chop. That moment marked the start of her true natural hair journey. She learned how to care for her kurls, nurture them, and most importantly, love them.💚

🏆Three years later, she had grown a full, beautiful krown — but the lure of heat and hair dye crept back in. Like many, she fell into the trap of what society defined as “acceptable,” and as a result, she lost both her kurls and her confidence.💚

🏆Then, in 2023, everything shifted. As her life changed drastically, Kelly found the courage to take the scissors again — not in defeat, but in rebirth. She cut off what was left of her damaged hair, along with everything that no longer served her. This time, it wasn’t just about starting over — it was about reclaiming her identity.💚

🏆Fast forward to 2025 — Kelly stands tall with a big, bouncy Afro, a symbol of resilience, faith, and rediscovery. From giving hair tips in someone’s backyard to calling the shots as a founder, she remains deeply rooted in her faith and purpose.💚

For Kelly, K for Kurls™️ isn’t just a brand — it’s a movement to unlearn what the world told us about beauty, and to remind every person with kurls that they are enough, as they are: Whether you have Type 3A, or 4C hair: YOUR ROOTS, are yours to EMBRACE. 

Wear your krown unapologetically! At KforKurls we Kure the mentality of texturism, we Kare for ALL roots, and most importantly, we Kultivate our roots to restore the Kulture! ✨