Summer has a way of making everything feel new. For Kerri Lichter, this season is especially meaningful. At 43, she is not only building a new business, but also preparing for another exciting chapter in her personal life.
A qualified beauty therapist, career woman and mother to her 20-year-old son, Kerri has spent much of her life in the beauty, health and wellness industries.
Now, after more than a decade with Twincare International Group, she is putting her experience to work for herself with her own business, TPO South (Twincare Professional Outlet), in Alberton.
From beauty therapist to businesswoman
Kerri’s career began in beauty. After qualifying as a beauty therapist, she opened her own business at a young age before taking a different path into nutrition.
For 12 years, she worked in the nutrition industry, including as a key accounts manager, where she discovered a passion for sales. That experience eventually brought her back to beauty when she joined Twincare International Group as a national sales manager.
Over the next 11 years, she travelled around the country and worked across several of the company’s professional beauty divisions.
‘I’m very, very passionate about sales and obviously the beauty and the health and wellness industry too,’ shares Kerri. She adds: ‘I think being a hard worker and being knowledgeable and passionate about what I do, I just felt like, why work for someone when I can make that money for myself?’
That thought became the starting point for TPO South.
A new business, a familiar industry
Launched in February 2026, TPO South brings Kerri’s years of industry knowledge closer to salons in Alberton and surrounding areas.
The business operates as a wholesale destination for professional hair and beauty salons, supplying products from Twincare International Group. From well-known professional brands such as Paul Mitchell, Joico, Goldwell, KMS and Olaplex to skincare, salon equipment and hair extensions, the idea is to make professional products easily accessible.
TPO South is also a destination store, letting salon owners pop in when they need something urgently rather than waiting for delivery. ‘I think the most exciting part is really just having your own vision and your own decisions,’ says Kerri.
‘It’s really doing things the way you like to do it. For someone who has spent years working in the industry, starting again has brought plenty of lessons.
Kerri quickly points out that entrepreneurship isn’t the easy option. ‘Sometimes you think having your own business is easier. It’s a lot harder,’ she highlights. Her biggest advice to anyone considering the leap is to understand cash flow, prepare for the long haul, and keep showing up.
‘It’s grinding, getting up every day and coming to work knowing that you’re not always drawing a salary. I think it’s just staying motivated and seeing the vision and seeing the result.’
Summer beauty: Keep it light, hydrated and protected
With summer here, Kerri and her team know that beauty routines need to change with the season. For hair, hydration is key.
Sun, heat, and swimming can leave hair feeling dry, so nourishing products and leave-in treatments are useful additions to a summer routine.
‘Keep it natural. Lots of hydration and keep that hair protected from the sun,’ Kerri and her team advises. Heat protection is also important, especially for anyone who regularly uses styling tools, and after a swim in the pool or sea, a good detangler can make combing through wet hair much easier. The same seasonal thinking applies to skincare. Heavy winter creams may not be the best choice when temperatures rise.
‘I think it’s very important always to have a good consultation and know that whatever you’re using is according to the weather as well as your skin type,’ Kerri explains.
Her summer essentials include a good cleanser, toner, serum and a lighter moisturiser. BB creams with SPF are another favourite for an easy, on-the-go summer look.
Natural beauty is having a moment
The current beauty mood also leans toward a more natural look. In hair, curls are making a strong comeback, with many people choosing to enhance their natural texture rather than fight it.
At the same time, smoothing treatments remain popular, proving summer beauty isn’t about following one strict trend.
‘There’s not just one way to do anything,’ says Kerri and her hair team. ‘Good beauty is personal. What works for one person may not work for another and professional advice can make all the difference,’ they add.
The next chapter
For Kerri, new beginnings are not limited to business. She is also preparing to get married in March and is enjoying a lifestyle that gives her more freedom to travel, spend time with loved ones and pursue new adventures.
‘I love travelling,’ she says. ‘My partner and I love different foods, different cultures and different countries.’ Her business journey is only beginning, too. She hopes to establish TPO South, expand its offering and eventually open more outlets in other areas.
New brands and products are already on the horizon, including Milkshake, which is set to join the business’s portfolio. For Kerri, that constant movement is part of what makes the beauty industry so exciting. ‘I love new brands and new products.
We’re always launching new products,’ she adds. ‘Every month there is something really, really exciting.’ And perhaps that is the perfect definition of a new beginning – not leaving the past behind, but taking everything learned along the way and using it to create something new.
Photo: THYS SANTOS VAN VUUREN. Styling and make-up: KERRI LICHTER. Hair: BRIGITTE REYNOLDS. Text: DESNAY PETERSON
