5 Best Beauty Schools in Johannesburg (2026)

Independently ranked by our review of ratings, reviews and reputation · How we chose

By Vespera Quill, Expert in Local Experiences and Cultural Analysis · ✓ Data verified August 2026 · 7 min read

Picking a beauty school in Johannesburg is really picking who signs off on your first year of clients. One school on this page has logged 41 five-star reviews without a single complaint about teaching, while another carries 86 reviews split hard between glowing praise and serious student grievances, and that gap is the whole story of who to trust with your training fees.

Short answer: The strongest all-round pick is Unblemished Beauty Makeup & Nail Academy (5.0 stars, 41 reviews) for nail and makeup courses, with Glow Beauty Salon and School and Shara Wig & Beauty Masterclass both also holding perfect or near-perfect scores for hairdressing and wig-making respectively. Course fees vary by specialty and length, so confirm pricing directly with each school.

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1. Unblemished Beauty Mak…
2. Rey Beauty School
3. Face to Face Beauty &…
4. Glow beauty salon and…
5. Shara Wig & Beauty Mas…
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Johannesburg's Beauty Schools Side by Side

#	Business	Rating	Reviews	Best for
1	Unblemished Beauty Makeup & Nail Academy	5.0 ★	41	Nail tech & makeup	View ›
2	Rey Beauty School	4.8 ★	32	General beauty therapy	View ›
3	Face to Face Beauty & Make-up Design School Houghton	3.7 ★	86	Full beauty diploma	View ›
4	Glow beauty salon and school	5.0 ★	22	Hairdressing	View ›
5	Shara Wig & Beauty Masterclass	4.9 ★	23	Wig-making masterclass	View ›

5 Best Beauty Schools in Johannesburg (2026)

Our top picks, reviewed

#1 Overall🕑 Open 6 days/wk

Unblemished Beauty Makeup & Nail Academy

5.041 Google reviews

Unblemished Beauty Makeup & Nail Academy is a beauty school in Eastleigh, Johannesburg, running short courses in nail technology and makeup, including permanent-makeup and lash work. Classes run six days a week, with Saturday morning hours for students who work during the week. Students describe a hands-on studio setting where instructors teach one technique at a time before moving on.

What people praise

Instructors described as patient and thorough, including one-week intensive nail courses
Staff repeatedly praised for a warm, welcoming atmosphere
Students report gaining confidence to start their own beauty business after graduating
Every review on file is five stars

Reputation scorecardrank in Johannesburg

Rating5 / 5

Review volume41 · 92th

Confidenceearly

Recency3 months ago

Info completenesssite · phone · hours

Rating breakdown98% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: The highest-rated school on this page and the only one with a completely clean review record. A strong choice if nails or makeup is your focus.

Website +27107452214 Directions

3 Drake Avenue, Terrace Road, Eastleigh, Johannesburg, 1609

#2🕑 Open 6 days/wk↩ Responds to reviews

Rey Beauty School

4.832 Google reviews

Rey Beauty School is a beauty school in Glenanda, Johannesburg South, offering both short-term and longer beauty-therapy courses. Reviewers describe accredited, regulated training with an emphasis on using quality products rather than cutting corners on materials. The school keeps weekday hours plus a short Saturday morning session.

What people praise

Facilitators described as patient, organised and knowledgeable
Graduates report the training helped them start their own beauty businesses
Accredited, regulated coursework, not just informal tutorials
Consistently warm, welcoming feedback across multiple years of reviews

Worth knowing

One reviewer notes recent reviews cluster around a single facilitator's name, so ask who will actually teach your course

Reputation scorecardrank in Johannesburg

Rating4.8 / 5

Review volume32 · 87th

Confidenceearly

Recency7 months ago

Info completenesssite · phone · hours

Rating breakdown91% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: A well-rounded general beauty-therapy school with a strong reputation for turning graduates into working professionals. Worth a call if you want broad training rather than a single specialty.

Website +27731542594 Directions

Cnr Voster and, Glen Ave, Glenanda, Johannesburg, 2091

#3🕑 Open 6 days/wk↩ Responds to reviews

Face to Face Beauty & Make-up Design School Houghton

3.786 Google reviews

Face to Face Beauty & Make-up Design School in Houghton Estate is a longer-running beauty school offering diploma-style training, part of a multi-branch group. It covers full beauty-therapy and makeup design programmes with formal photo-based portfolio work built into the coursework.

What people praise

Some students describe genuine skill growth and confidence in makeup design
Photography sessions are built into the portfolio-building process
Long-running institution with an established curriculum

Worth knowing

Reviews are notably mixed: alongside praise, a meaningful share of students report serious dissatisfaction with communication, fairness of treatment and how concerns were handled
Several reviewers say photo delivery for portfolios ran slower than promised
This is a larger, multi-branch operation, so ask specifically about the Houghton campus before enrolling

Reputation scorecardrank in Johannesburg

Rating3.7 / 5

Review volume86 · 97th

Confidenceearly

Recency5 years ago

Info completenessphone · hours

Rating breakdown62% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: The most-reviewed school here by volume, but the rating reflects a genuinely split record. Read the recent reviews yourself and ask pointed questions about class size and support before committing.

+27117268166 Directions

Isle of Houghton Harrow Court 1, 18 Boundary Rd, Houghton Estate, Johannesburg, 2198

#4🕑 Open 6 days/wk

Glow beauty salon and school

5.022 Google reviews

Glow Beauty Salon and School in Fairland runs hairdressing and combined beauty courses (nails, lashes, makeup and eyebrows) out of a salon-and-school setup with long daily hours, including evenings. Reviewers describe a school that lets students work at their own pace and helps place graduates into jobs afterward.

What people praise

Reviewers highlight flexibility for slower learners, including extra time at no extra cost
Job-placement support mentioned by more than one reviewer
Long opening hours (into the evening most days) suit students with day jobs
Every review on file is five stars but one

Reputation scorecardrank in Johannesburg

Rating5 / 5

Review volume22 · 71th

Confidenceearly

Recency5 weeks ago

Info completenesssite · hours

Rating breakdown95% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: A hairdressing and combined-beauty school with a genuine track record of getting students working after graduation. Good fit if you need flexible hours around a job.

Website Directions

119 11th avenue, Davidson St, Fairland, 2030

#5🕑 Open 6 days/wk

Shara Wig & Beauty Masterclass

4.923 Google reviews

Shara Wig & Beauty Masterclass in Braamfontein teaches wig-making and hair-installation courses, from beginner classes through advanced lace-frontal installation. It runs alongside a hair-products retail business, and courses cover making, maintaining and installing wigs and units.

What people praise

Beginner and advanced courses both praised as clear and well taught
Reviewers say the training let them start making and selling their own wigs afterward
Founder and staff described as encouraging with beginners

Worth knowing

One reviewer flags shared equipment (a single dryer) as a bottleneck during busier classes

Reputation scorecardrank in Johannesburg

Rating4.9 / 5

Review volume23 · 76th

Confidenceearly

Recency2 years ago

Info completenesssite · phone · hours

Rating breakdown96% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: The specialist pick if wig-making and hair installation is specifically what you want to learn, with reviewers pointing to real income opportunities after the course.

Website +27835882555 Directions

2 De Beer St, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2017

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How we score

Rating is each school’s live Google star average. Review volume shows how many students have rated them, ranked against other Johannesburg beauty schools. Confidence weighs the rating by that volume, so a 5.0 from dozens of reviewers counts differently than a 5.0 from a handful. Recency reflects how recently people are still leaving reviews. No school can pay to change these numbers.

How much do beauty courses cost in Johannesburg? (2026)

None of the schools on this page publish a fixed public price list we can cite directly, and course cost depends heavily on which specialty and how long the programme runs (a one-week nail course costs far less than a full diploma). Ask each school directly for its current fee structure and what’s included (kit, exam fees, certification).

Serving Johannesburg’s beauty students

These beauty schools are spread across Johannesburg, from Eastleigh and Houghton Estate in the north to Glenanda and Fairland to the south and west, plus Braamfontein near the city centre. Searching for a beauty school near me? Each listing below shows a live phone number and address so you can find the closest option and ask about start dates.

What to ask before you enrol at a beauty school

Is the qualification accredited, and by which body?
What is the total course fee, and does it include kit, exam fees and certification?
How many students are in a class, and how much one-on-one time do you get?
Do you help with job placement or portfolio-building after graduation?
Can you meet the instructor who will actually teach your specific course before signing up?
What happens if you need extra time to master a technique?

Frequently asked questions

How did you choose these beauty schools?

We started from beauty schools in Johannesburg with a public Google presence, then ranked by rating, review volume, consistency and recency. See How we score above.

Are these rankings paid?

No. Rankings come from the public Google data in the scorecard. A business can pay to be a Featured Partner, which adds a badge and top placement, but that never changes another business’s score or position on the underlying data.

How often is this updated?

The data carries a verified date (August 2026 on this page). We refresh listings periodically so ratings and review counts stay current.

Do these schools offer accredited qualifications?

Several reviewers mention accredited, regulated training at Rey Beauty School and Face to Face Beauty & Make-up Design School. Confirm accreditation details and the specific certifying body directly with each school before enrolling.

Can beginners with no experience enrol?

Yes, most of the schools above welcome complete beginners, including in nail technology, hairdressing and wig-making. Reviewers regularly describe going from no experience to running their own small business afterward.

The bottom line

Unblemished Beauty Makeup & Nail Academy is the safe default if nails or makeup is your focus, given its spotless five-star record. If you want hairdressing, wig-making or a broader beauty-therapy diploma, match the specialty to Glow, Shara or Rey rather than defaulting to the biggest name.

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