Beyond the suit: Why Kenyans hire etiquette coaches

“The one I picked, I noted she had certifications from training in South Africa, so it showed she was competent in the matters I wanted to engage her in,” he tells the BDLife.

Initially, Brian’s goal was to refine his oral communication skills. However, as the sessions unfolded, he discovered there was much more to communication than he had anticipated.

“I did a full-day session from 8 am to 5 pm which covered the basics, but she had shared some forms to fill out before assessing my profile,” he says.

The process revealed that shaping one’s image and communication is multifaceted—something he had not fully considered before.

While image consulting is a continuous journey, Brian encourages those eyeing leadership positions to start early. “If I knew then what I know now, I would have tried to do the class earlier,” he adds.

Newly appointed CEOs or managers are not just looking for coaches to teach them how to speak; they are also hiring people to train them in good manners or appropriate dress.

Image consultants can teach many skills that universities seldom touch upon. In connection with table manners, etiquette, or techniques in conversation, including matters like meeting, greeting or introducing someone, making a positive first impression or discreetly picking up a dinner tab are equally important.

Among those who have made a career out of teaching good manners: how to walk, dress, talk or table manners is Nthenya Macharia.

She began her career as a public relations officer and events planner before she noticed a gap in etiquette and personal branding.

“Some habits didn’t align with international standards. People did not dress for the occasion, know how to use a fork and knife, or even give speeches at events,” says Nthenya who now runs a business, Nthenya Consultancy.

Nthenya realised that etiquette coaching was already an existing career in South Africa.

She started teaching individuals how to refine their appearance, behaviour and communication—often referred to as the ABCs of how people conduct themselves.

Etiquette, Nthenya says, is grounded in the golden rule: treating others the way we would like to be treated.

“So, manners can be taught at home, or you can come and learn them in the marketplace—which is what we are doing. We are teaching people good manners. You want to leave a place better than you found it, engage in ways that promote equality, honour, and respect,” she says.

However, when she started, the market was not immediately receptive. It took about seven years for her services to gain full acceptance.

“When I first came back [from South Africa where she trained as a coach], I worked as a makeup artist for weddings because one of the things you learn is how to do makeup. Then, I started by training my family and friends—teaching them about dress colour coding, public speaking, and such. After seven years, when people realised the gap, I ventured into corporate training and working with public figures,” she says.

Mistakes and misconceptions

So, what exactly are people trained on?

“When it comes to appearance, it includes multiple facets, from makeup. You often see people wearing makeup suited for fashion shows or evening events in the office,” she says.

Behaviour, she adds, is all about body language—and the body never lies. This also includes dining etiquette. “You can often tell which village someone comes from based on how they engage around food,” she quips.

“And so, if you were to use communication as your rule: your appearance is your visual communication, your behaviour is your non-verbal communication, and then you have your verbal communication—either written or spoken.”

She cites a popular rule in image consulting: people form impressions based 55 percent on how you look, 38 percent on your tone of voice, and only seven percent on your actual words.

Her advice to those looking to join the career, Nthenya says passion for people is essential. “If your goal is transforming lives, doors will keep opening.”

Additionally, you need to keep on levelling up as this image consulting is a specialisation which manoeuvres as your brand changes. “Three years ago, I went back to school and became an image master, the first in East Africa,” she says.

Still, one of her biggest challenges is clients undervaluing the work.

“There is time and effort put into acquiring this knowledge and the patience to teach it to you. These are life skills, and once you learn them, you never unlearn them. It’s like walking or talking. But in our society, people haven’t been taught to recognise the value—so we haggle and make comparisons,” she says.

While social media and technology have shifted etiquette’s role, Nthenya believes they have both distorted and democratised it. “They’ve created a façade—but also made information more widespread.”

Is it a lucrative career? “Yes,” she says. “It depends on your commitment, exposure, and experience. The advantage is you don’t need a physical office—it’s a gift that keeps on giving. What you earn is simply a byproduct of how much effort you’re willing to put in.”

Any publicity is good publicity?

Derek Bbanga, 51, has also been in the field for years. He says he helps professionals be seen, heard and remembered—for the right reasons.

Human beings have an innate tendency to judge, fairly or unfairly. “Why would you judge me based on how I look? I mean, I’m a professional. But unfortunately, the reptilian part of our brain makes those instant judgments. So, it’s about tipping the scales in your favour,” he says.

Having lived outside Kenya for 25 years, Derek spotted a niche in the local market after an experience with a customs official at the airport.

“He had red eyes, bad breath, and some kind of stain on his tie. This was the first person I met at 5am after getting off the plane. That first impression made me think, this guy hasn’t even been trained in basic customer service,” he recalls.

Though the experience stuck with him, Derek first worked in a communication strategy firm before stepping out on his own in the early 2010s.

He later travelled to South Africa for formal training in etiquette and image consulting and trained under Diana Mather, a UK-based etiquette expert.

Emotional intelligence

According to Derek, one of the biggest mistakes top professionals make is failing to lead with emotional intelligence. “To me, that’s how you get the best out of your team—especially post-Covid and in a tough economy. You need to mentor, inspire, and build resilience. That requires self-awareness and understanding what your team needs.”

Having trained tens of thousands, Derek finds the most rewarding part of his job is the impact he leaves behind. “It’s when someone I trained years ago walks up to me in a supermarket or random setting and says, ‘Good to meet you, sir. You changed my life. I sat in your class, and the lessons stuck.’ 90 percent of my business is referrals.”

Are there lows in this career?

“For me the premium pricing dilemma. Positioning our company as a strategic partner versus just another consultant which we try to do through measurable ROI like increased sales numbers etc and staying ahead of evolving market trends,” he says.

“The truth is I’ve increased the salaries for executives who fixed their perception gaps and helped business founders get funding by changing how they show up and scale across industries and countries,” says Derek.

Etiquette coaching is also one of the areas affected during economic downtimes.

“The Covid-19 pandemic obviously caused major disruption to a lot of SMEs but a crisis reveals character so we started offering virtual sessions proving etiquette isn’t dead, but some of it has migrated online,” he says.

Derek says what has kept him in business is these skills are not “a nice to have” but “a must-have” in today’s hyper-competitive environment which clients recognise as most important.

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