Curly wigs in South Africa: waves, curls, prices, care

Curly and wave wig prices across SA stores

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

Stylists who fit curly wigs, by city

City pages go live once three stylists there are verified.

Curly wigs, explained

Waves and curls: what the names mean in the shop

South African stores list curly wigs under many names: water wave, deep wave, loose wave, body wave, jerry curl, Italian curl, island curl, finger wave and water curl. We could not find a shared standard for them, so treat each name as the seller's description and judge the curl from the photos. Luvme, an online wig seller, gives a useful rule of thumb for the wave names: water wave is a soft, ripple-like wave, deep wave is tighter and more defined, loose wave is softer and more relaxed, and body wave is a larger S-shaped wave.

In the table you will find a water wave fringe wig at Universal Dealers, a loose wave fringe at Remore, a deep wave fringe at Clicks, a jerry curl U-part at The San Hair, a 13x4 water wave frontal at Dolce Looks, a jerry curl full frontal at Shara Hair and a 20 inch water wave frontal at Hair Majesty. If you are choosing between two stores, ask for a photo or video of the exact wig, not a similar one.

Length: curls look shorter than the number

Wig length is measured from the crown to the ends with the hair stretched straight, so a curly wig's strand is longer than it looks on your head. Mayvenn says wavy hair looks about 2 inches shorter than straight hair of the same length, and curly hair about 4 inches shorter. Luvme says a curly 16 inch wig may look closer to shoulder length. The slider above shows where straight hair falls, so if you want your curls at the shoulders, choose a length about 4 inches longer than the straight-hair mark for the shoulders.

What curly wigs cost in South Africa

In our 6 Oct 2026 check, the cheapest curly or wave wig at each of 14 stores ran from R297 to R3,102. At the bottom, a Takealot listing is a heat-resistant synthetic wavy curly wig at R297. Virgin Human Hair has a finger wave short wig at R399, and both Hair City's 3-in-1 Peruvian Lux curly wig and The Wig Factory's middle-part jerry curl wig are R499. Clicks has a deep wave fringe wig at R1,400, Shara Hair's 14 inch jerry curl full frontal is R1,699 and Hair Majesty's 20 inch water wave frontal is R3,102.

These are starting prices, one per store. A longer, fuller, double drawn or customised curly wig costs more. Dolce Looks, for example, lists its single drawn water wave frontal as part of a budget collection.

Human hair or synthetic?

Curly wigs are sold in both. HairUWear says plain synthetic fibre must never be styled with a blow dryer, curling iron or hot rollers. Heat friendly synthetic fibre can take more: Jon Renau says its HD fibre can withstand tools up to 350F, and recommends 270F to 280F. Many listings simply say heat resistant, so ask for the temperature. Human hair can be restyled with care, and Hair City suggests a low setting of 120C (250F) and a heat protectant for its human hair wigs.

How to care for a curly wig

Curls are the first thing to go if a wig is handled roughly. For the washing basics, we have used the advice of wig makers and sellers, and the American Academy of Dermatology for what works on curly hair.

Detangle when the hair is wet or damp, with your fingers or a wide-tooth comb, working from the ends upwards. The AAD advises wetting curly hair thoroughly, applying a leave-in conditioner and detangling with fingers or a wide-tooth comb, and it advises against brushing curly hair while it is dry. un-ruly says wet hair is fragile, so finger detangle rather than comb when it is wet, and it recommends co-washing if the wig has little product build-up. It also says to pay attention to the lace and crown, where product builds up.

How often to wash varies. Daniela Lain says to wash curly human hair wigs every 7 to 10 wears, or sooner if you sweat. Hair City says every 15 to 20 wears for its human hair wigs. un-ruly says every one to two weeks, or sooner if you exercise a lot or use a lot of product. The safe reading is: wash when it feels coated, not on a fixed calendar. Dry it flat or on a stand.

Before you pay

Check these points on any curly wig:

• The fibre, and the heat limit in degrees if it is synthetic.
• The curl name, and a photo or video of the exact wig, because names are not standard.
• The length in inches, then add a few inches for shrinkage.
• The lace and cap: frontal, closure, U-part or headband, and whether it is glueless.
• Returns. The Wig Factory says unworn wigs with the lace uncut can come back within 7 days, and Hair Majesty says customised wigs cannot be returned.

Curly wigs: questions