Face to Face Beauty & Make-up Design School is the longest-running academy that focuses on  beauty, make-up design and special effects in South Africa. They were established in 1965 and expanded into a bigger institution over the years.

The first thing we found noteworthy about Face to Face Beauty & Make-up Design School is their dedication to quality. We like that they stay updated with up-to-date beauty techniques and modern equipment, assuring that students are equipped with updated knowledge and practices.

Moreover, we noted that the academic staff they employ are qualified, and highly-trained professionals. Their past students commend their instructors for being knowledgeable in their fields and being hands-on with their classes. 

Students describe their classes as enjoyable as they’re informative and interactive.

We also love that Face to Face Beauty & Make-up Design School is meticulous in designing its courses. In addition, their classes and training are all nationally registered and follow the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA).

They offer an ample selection of courses that focus on make-up artistry and special effects and beauty therapy. There are also short courses available for those who want to enrol part-time, which is great for students juggling other commitments.

Depending on the course, the school may or may not require a matric (Grade 12) certificate. For courses where the certificate is not required, it’s open to everyone aged 16 years and above.

Their students appreciate the variety of courses they offer, and that each course specialises in a different field in artistry and beauty therapy.

Although Face to Face Beauty & Make-up Design School claims to provide beauty classes for cheaper rates, we found that they’re actually leaning towards the more expensive side with a tuition fee of R 50,000 for a one-year full-time course.

However, we do appreciate that students can opt to pay a percentage of the tuition fee as a deposit, and just pay a monthly rate until they complete the course.

If there’s one thing we think Face to Face Beauty & Make-up Design School needs to improve on, it’s their student services. We’ve heard several complaints from students regarding administrators being rude towards them or their guardians.

On top of that, we were told several staff members, including the school principal, tend to be racist towards persons of colour, which is a huge disappointment. 

The Pyramid Beauty School is another popular beauty school in Joburg. They’re known for offering thorough full-time and unique part-time courses on health and skincare therapy.

For full-time courses, each year level focuses on a different subject: beauty therapy, body therapy, spa therapy, and then advanced aesthetics. Past students describe these courses as comprehensive and fundamental in starting their professional careers.

We’re also interested in their wide selection of part-time courses that tackles nail technology, make-up and aesthetics, facial therapy, waxing, and massages.

Our favourite thing about The Pyramid Beauty School though is their very affordable inclusive tuition rates. 

For full-time courses, fees range from R 25,000 to R 45,000, depending on which programme you enrol in. We like that the fees for the ITEC International examination are included in the first-year level tuition fee (R 45,000). 

On the other hand, part-time courses are priced from R 2,500 to  R 8,000, also depending on which course you take. The number of sessions per course also varies.

Unfortunately, they only accept one-time straight payments for tuition fees. This may prove to be a barrier for more financially-challenged students.

Students are satisfied with the school’s environment and the equipment they use in classes. They describe the school’s premises as clean and organised, and mention that the technology and materials they’re given access to are up-to-date.

Another thing students admire about this beauty school is its highly-trained and expert instructors. In spite of that, we did hear minor complaints about students feeling mistreated by impolite instructors.

Good thing the Pyramid Beauty School’s administration is quick to respond to students’ enquiries and concerns. Being open to criticism and being dedicated to improving their services is a big plus for us. 

Although they are one of the newer beauty schools in Johannesburg, SA College of Beauty, Hair & Health is one of the top consumer-recommended cosmetic academies. 

When they were established in 1994, the only programme they offered was beauty courses. However, 13 years later, they’ve also incorporated hairdressing into their curriculum.

Just recently, they transitioned under new ownership and are currently focused on improving their services.

Students approve of SA College of Beauty, Hair & Health’s small and interactive classes led by instructors who are experts in their fields. They also like the experiential learning approach the lecturers take when teaching.

We admire that SA College of Beauty, Hair & Health prides itself on having highly certified and experienced facilitators and a curriculum designed to provide education that achieves high national and international qualifications.

They are accredited by the Institute of Training and Education for Capacity-building (ITEC), Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO), South African Association of Health and Skincare Professionals (SAAHSP), and Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA).

Although their tuition fees aren’t publicly available, the school claims to be flexible in adjusting to the students’ needs in terms of payment. Their past students also commend them for offering affordable courses.

Nonetheless, we did hear some grumbles about the delayed processing of certificates. We were told there was even a case where the student had to wait for over a year to get theirs, which is disappointing.

Unfortunately, their admin and customer service reportedly aren’t the best, either. Past students claim that they’re sometimes difficult to reach out to, and some staff are rude while dealing with concerns.

We hope that as they focus on improving their institution, they give a little more attention to organising systems and training staff.

Next on our list is the prestigious and well-established Carlton Hair Academy. As an arm of the popular Carlton Hair Salon, the academy provides training on hairdressing and continuous professional learning, which is a more advanced course designed to hone professional skills.

Although they offer a very specific curriculum particular to hairdressing, Carlton Hair Academy is one of the most sought-after beauty schools in Joburg. 

They’re well known for dynamically-designed programmes and instructors who are not only professionals but are passionate about teaching.

One feature we like about Carlton Hair Academy is that since they’re partnered with a commercial salon, students get to practise and show off their talents by giving free hairstyling services to the salon’s customers. 

Because of this strategy, students are able to receive actual client feedback, which we think is helpful in improving their skills.

The Carlton Hair Academy team is composed of high-performing professionals who lead the course they provide. Each instructor went through thorough training and has received the appropriate certifications.

We’re told that students look up to their instructors for their remarkable talents in hairdressing and the creative ideas they throw around class, keeping it always interesting.

Being included in the more prestigious beauty academies in the area, some students mention that the Carlton Hair Academy’s tuition fee is more expensive than other schools. 

However, considering their expertise and the highly-skilled students they produce, students claim the extra bucks are worth it.

The only thing we didn’t find completely satisfactory is the school’s student services. We heard of an incident where a staff member was reportedly being inconsiderate and rude towards students.

Thankfully, Carlton Hair Academy’s representatives are quick to act on complaints. They’re also responsive to enquiries, which is a plus for us.

Mangako Beauty & Health Spa Academy is also an arm of a spa with the same name. They’re popular for offering a broad selection of beauty courses specialising in body and facial aesthetics, nail technology, massages, and facial therapy.

Our favourite thing about Mangako Beauty & Health Spa Academy is its dedication to making beauty education accessible to all by providing training courses at a cheap cost. Most of the time, they even offer tuition discounts for particular courses.

Currently, a programme covering facial waxing, nail technology, and massages is just priced at R 7,500, which is awesome. This is obviously one of their strong competitive advantages that attract more students to enrol.

Their students are also quite happy with the design and content of the courses they offer. They describe them as highly-informative and fundamental in building a career in cosmetology.

The only problems their students encounter are the difficulty to reach out to administrative staff and messy internal systems.

We hear their hotlines are usually busy and representatives aren’t active in answering emails either. 

As they’re partnered with an accredited spa, students are also given a chance to practise what they learned from their lessons to the spa’s customers. However, we hear that the academy does this quite early in the programme, only a month after starting.

In this case, there are a handful of instances where customers aren’t satisfied with the student’s work because they’re not so skilled yet. Although we think practical training is a great strategy, we think Mangako Beauty & Health Spa Academy needs to rethink the timing of its practicum.

We also suggest Mangako Beauty & Health Spa Academy hires a separate and equipped team that deals with students’ concerns alone. This way, they will be more accessible and available to address questions and complaints.