Sheldon Tatchell proves that dreams can come true as a barber from Eldorado Park to Harvard Business School.
Image: Instagram
He has gone from cutting hair outside an internet café in Eldorado Park to joining one of the world’s most prestigious business schools.
Sheldon Tatchell is marking another major milestone in his entrepreneurial journey.
The founder and CEO of “Legends Barber” recently revealed that he has officially begun a 24-month programme at Harvard Business School. He took to Instagram to share the news and reflected on how far his journey has come.
“I’m still in disbelief writing this… From cutting hair on a stoep… to joining Harvard Business School,” he wrote.
The entrepreneur described the opportunity as a full-circle moment for a boy from Eldorado Park who started with “a chair, a clipper and a dream”.
“I’m grateful to God, my family, my team, and everyone who believed in me when the dream looked impossible,” he added.
Tatchell also emphasised that the next chapter is not just about personal success, but about coming back with more knowledge to grow the business and better serve communities.
“The mission remains: Learn. Grow. Come back better to serve our people, our business, and our communities.”
Over the years, Tatchell has become one of South Africa’s most recognised young entrepreneurs after turning “Legends Barber” into one of the country’s biggest hair grooming brands.
What started as a small setup outside his cousin’s internet café has since grown into a franchise with more than 80 stores across Southern Africa.
In a previous interview with “True Love”, Tatchell shared how he first started cutting hair at the age of 14 before later working at a bank call centre. Even then, he couldn’t let go of the dream of building his own barbershop business.
After initially losing his first shop due to unpaid rent while away on honeymoon, he went back to cutting hair from people’s homes after work and on weekends before eventually relaunching the business.
According to Tatchell, the name “Legends” itself came from the work he and his team did cutting hair at old age homes in their community, referring to elderly residents as “the legends” who inspired the brand’s purpose.
Today, the business has expanded beyond barbershops into grooming products and training academies while creating employment opportunities for hundreds of people across multiple African countries.
Tatchell has also become a familiar face in South Africa’s entrepreneurship space, earning several accolades, including Entrepreneur of the Year titles in both 2024 and 2025.
Harvard Business School has added to his growing list of achievements, with many online praising the businessman’s journey as one of South Africa’s standout entrepreneurial success stories.