00:01On a rural roadside on the outskirts of Nairobi,
00:05Zafari Martens, one of Kenya's most renowned barbers,
00:08uses out-of-the-ordinary techniques to cut hair.
00:12Among the tools on his walls of his makeshift salon
00:15are a shovel, a wrench and agricultural shears.
00:23I started as a barber back in high school around 2018.
00:29That's when I started cutting hair.
00:31But then content creation, I started it in 2023.
00:36That's like just two years ago.
00:39I would say I'm motivated by African culture, African stories,
00:45and I really think there should be someone out there
00:49that is big on social media, is a very big content creator,
00:52not based on the Western culture, but based on, you know,
00:56our original culture, based on who we are, like Africans.
01:02With his unconventional techniques, Martens has amassed
01:05some one million followers on TikTok and Instagram.
01:08His clients say his talent is unmatched.
01:12I came to Safro Fates last year, through referral,
01:25and I saw pure talent from how he shaves to his styles.
01:31If I compare him with other barbers, his talent is next level.
01:37I cannot explain.
01:40When I get shaved here, I get very comfortable.
01:43Even while walking in the streets, I get very confident.
01:47Influencer barbers are a recent trend in Kenya,
01:57where internet usage has skyrocketed in recent years,
02:00and platforms such as Instagram are being used for entertainment
02:03as well as business.
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