Bob wigs in South Africa: lengths, prices, where to buy

Bob wig prices across SA stores

One bob per store, cheapest first. Prices checked 6 Oct 2026. Stock and prices change, so confirm on the store's page.

Stylists who fit bob wigs, by city

City pages go live once three stylists there are verified.

Bob wigs in South Africa, explained

What a bob wig is and what it costs here

A bob is cut to one length around the head, with or without a fringe. As a wig it is one of the lightest ways to change your look, because there is less hair to carry, wash and dry. Store listings call it a fringe bob, blunt bob, Kim K bob, Y bob or wear-and-go bob, but they are all versions of the same short shape.

In our 6 Oct 2026 check, the cheapest bob at each of 15 stores ran from R179 to R2,450. The R179 one is a Takealot listing whose title says premium synthetic. The R299 one at The Wig Factory is a 10 inch straight fringe bob. The R849 one at Dolce Looks is an 8 inch frontal bob that its page describes as made on a 13x4 lace system, pre-bleached and pre-plucked. The R1,049 one at Hair City is an 8 inch fringe bob. The R1,900 one at The Hair Trader is a Vietnamese human hair bob.

Those are starting prices, one per store. A longer, fuller, double drawn or customised bob costs more, so use the table as a place to begin and not as the price you will pay. The prices and descriptions on this page come from the stores' own pages.

How long is an 8, 10 or 12 inch bob?

Wig length is measured from the crown to the ends with the hair pulled straight, so the number is the length of the strand and not how high the wig sits on you. For straight hair, Mayvenn's wig length guide puts an 8 inch wig at the chin, a 10 inch wig between the jaw and the chin, and a 12 inch wig at the shoulders. Those positions are for someone between 5 ft 4 in and 5 ft 7 in tall (about 1.63 m to 1.70 m). Luvme's chart agrees that 10 inch is the classic bob and says 12 inch can read as chin to shoulder length depending on texture.

Texture changes the picture. Mayvenn says wavy hair looks about 2 inches shorter than straight hair of the same length, and curly hair about 4 inches shorter. A 10 inch curly bob can therefore sit well above your jaw. The slider above starts at 10 inches. A 6 or 8 inch bob sits higher than that.

Human hair or synthetic?

Both are sold as bobs in South Africa. Synthetic costs less, and the R179 row shows how low it goes. Human hair costs more, and you can colour it, curl it and straighten it.

The catch with synthetic is heat. HairUWear, which sells Raquel Welch wigs, says plain synthetic fibre must never be styled with a blow dryer, curling iron or hot rollers. Heat friendly synthetic fibre takes more, but the limit depends on the maker. Jon Renau says its HD fibre can take styling tools up to 350F (about 177C) and recommends 270F to 280F. HairUWear gives 350F (180C) for its heat friendly fibre. Ellen Wille says its heat friendly styles can take 260F to 280F. A listing that only says heat resistant, with no number, is a reason to ask the store what the fibre is and what it can take.

Human hair is not heat proof either. The American Academy of Dermatology says excessive heat damages hair and advises limiting blow drying and curling or flat irons. Hair City suggests a low setting of 120C (250F) and a heat protectant for its human hair wigs.

Read titles carefully. Some bob listings say Human HairBlend in the title, while the same store's FAQ says every unit is 100% remi or virgin human hair. The word blend alone does not tell you the fibre, so check the description or ask.

Which lace, and what does glueless mean?

The lace explainer above opens on a 13x4 frontal, because frontal or lace front is the construction named most often in bob wig titles in our check. You will also see 4x4 and 5x5 closures, which have a smaller lace square on top and fix the parting, and 2x6 closures. Closures are simpler to put on. Frontals let you part the hair across the front.

Glueless, or wear and go, means the wig is made to go on without adhesive. Hair City's glueless bob has a 4x4 lace closure and comes with adjustable straps, an elastic band and combs, and the store describes a 1 minute install. Customised is a separate promise: Dolce Looks sells its water wave frontal as either not customised or customised with a plucked hairline and bleached knots. Ask what is included before you pay for it.

What to check before you pay

A short checklist keeps you from paying for the wrong thing:

• The fibre: human hair or synthetic, and if synthetic, whether it is heat friendly and to what temperature.
• The lace and cap: 13x4, 4x4 or 5x5, glueless or not, and the cap size.
• Whether the price is for a customised wig. Hair Majesty says customised wigs cannot be exchanged or returned.
• The returns window. The Wig Factory says unworn wigs in the original packaging with the lace uncut can come back within 7 days. Hair Majesty gives 14 days for unused, unworn items.
• Very low marketplace prices: read what the listing says the hair is, who ships it and what the returns terms are.

Who a bob wig suits

A bob suits you if you want something light and quick, if you like your neck and shoulders free, or if you do not want to look after a long wig. It is also an easy first wig, because glueless bobs are made to go on quickly, and Hair City describes a 1 minute install for one of its own. If you want a curly bob, check the texture name as well as the length. Stores use water wave, deep wave and loose wave for different looks, and curls shrink, so you may want to go a few inches longer than you would for straight hair.

Bob wigs: questions