Kivu Salons & Spas: services, prices and time booking in Rwanda

Part of Kivu Super App (kivu.site). In the app this section is called Salons & Spa.

Kivu Salons & Spas is the beauty and wellness section of Kivu Super App, a free app made in Kigali, Rwanda. Hair salons, barbershops, nail studios, beauty rooms, massage and spa places show their services with a price and a duration, photos of their work, opening hours and place on the map. A client chooses a service, a date and a free time and sends a booking request; the salon confirms it.

Kivu Salons & Spas is a directory with booking requests. Kivu does not provide the services, does not employ the staff, does not hold the money and takes no commission. The client pays the salon directly. Listing a salon is free. Many pages were added by Kivu from public map data and are not yet managed by the salon; on those pages you can call and find the way, but not book.

Key facts

Where it works	Rwanda. Open kivu.site in a phone browser and choose Salons & Spas.
Price to list a salon	Free
Commission on a booking	None
Who can list a place	Anyone with a free Kivu account who runs a salon, a barbershop, a spa or works as a master at clients' homes
Types of places	18: Barbershop; Men's Grooming; Hair Care; Body Treatments; Hair Salon; Nail Studio; Makeup & Lashes; Beauty & Facial; Waxing & Hair Removal; Classic / Swedish Massage; Thai Massage; Hot Stone Therapy; Aromatherapy; Massage Therapy; Spa & Wellness; Sauna & Hammam; Full Service Salon; Home Service Provider
How many places	More than 500 across Rwanda (October 2026). Most of them were added by Kivu from public Google Maps data; a salon can take over its page for free.
For whom	Each place says whether it serves men only, women only, or everyone. The list has Men and Women tabs. Massage, spa and sauna places appear in both tabs. A place for everyone appears in both tabs; each card shows a small label: Men Only, Women Only or Men & Women.
What a salon page shows	Name, description, cover photo, services with prices and duration, a portfolio of up to 10 photos of real work, opening days and hours, an Open or Closed mark, city, address, map pin, phone, likes, and an optional YouTube video
Services	Up to 300 services. Each has a name, a price in Rwandan francs (RWF), a duration from 5 to 480 minutes, and an optional description, photo and 3D model (.glb file).
Marks a salon can set	Home Service, Shower, Certified Staff, Parking
Search and filters	Search by salon, master or treatment; Men and Women tabs; types of places; filters Open Now, Top Rated (most likes) and Home Service; a map of salons
How to book	Choose a service, tap "Book Slot", pick a date and a free time, add a note if you want, and tap "Book Now". The request is saved, and a chat with the salon opens with the request already written.
Free times	The app counts them from the salon's opening hours, the duration of the service and the times that are already taken. You can book up to 90 days ahead
Who confirms	The salon. A request with no answer for 10 hours expires automatically, and you get a notification.
How to pay	Directly to the salon, in cash or by Mobile Money. Kivu does not take or hold the payment.
Pages not managed by the salon	They show the link "Is this your business?". They have no booking and no chat — the phone, the address and the map. Some of them also show services with prices copied from the salon's own website; tap "Call" next to a service and confirm the price by phone.
Check before publishing	Every new salon is checked automatically by AI before it appears
Paid options	Optional boosts for salons from 1,500 RWF a day. Everything else is free.

How to use it, step by step

If you want a haircut, a manicure, a massage or another service

Open kivu.site, sign in with a free account and open Salons & Spas.
Choose the Men or Women tab and a type of place, or search by salon or treatment. Use the filters "Open Now", "Top Rated" and "Home Service", or switch to the map to see places near you.
Open a salon. Look at the services with prices and duration, the portfolio photos of real work and the Info tab with the address and opening hours.
Tap "Book Slot" next to a service. Pick a date on the calendar, then one of the free times. The app shows only times when the whole service fits and nobody else is booked.
If you want, write a note — for example the style you want — and tap "Book Now". The request is saved, and Kivu Chat opens with the salon with the service, date, time and price already written. Send the message.
Wait for the salon's answer. You get a notification when the salon confirms or cancels the request. If the salon does not answer in 10 hours, the request expires automatically.
In "My Appointments" you see the status: Pending, Confirmed, Paid, Cancelled or Expired. You can cancel there if your plans change; the salon is notified.
Come on time and pay the salon directly after the service, in cash or by Mobile Money.
You can also tap "Call" to see the phone number, or "Chat" to ask a question first. If a page looks wrong or dishonest, use the report button on the page.

If you run a salon, a barbershop or a spa

Open kivu.site, sign in with a free account and open Salons & Spas. First search for your place: it may already be listed from public map data.
If your place is there, open it and tap "Is this your business?", then "Send request". You get a code. Kivu calls the phone number shown on the page and asks whether you sent the request; you can also write to Kivu from the official page of the business and give the code. After the check the page is yours, for free.
If your place is not there, open the form "List My Salon".
Step 1: write the name, choose the type, say whom you serve (men only, women only or everyone), add a description, the city, the phone number, working days and hours, a cover photo and the marks (Home Service, Shower, Certified Staff, Parking).
Step 2: write the address and put a pin on the map, or use GPS.
Step 3: add your services — a name, a price and a duration in minutes for each, and, if you want, a description or a photo. The duration matters: the app uses it to offer free times.
Step 4: check everything and tap "Submit Application". The application is checked, and you get a notification when it is approved or rejected.
After approval the salon is in the list and on the map. In "My Salons" you see its status and can edit it. Services, prices, hours, phone and portfolio change at once; a new name, description, cover photo or address is checked again.
Add up to 10 portfolio photos of your real work, so clients see your style.
When a client sends a request you get a notification. Open "Bookings" and tap "Confirm", or cancel the request if you cannot take the client. Answer within 10 hours, or the request expires.
When the client has paid you, tap "Mark Paid" to keep your own records in order. The Today, All and Calendar tabs show your appointments.
Use "Block Dates" to close whole days when you do not work — a day off, a repair or a holiday. You can close up to 62 days at once and up to one year ahead.
If a page is about your business and you want it removed, write through Contact Us; Kivu takes it down within 48 hours.

What it costs

Listing a salon, the list of services, the portfolio, booking requests, the booking calendar, chat and calls are free. There is no commission and no fee per booking.

The only paid thing is an optional boost for a salon that is already published. A boost shows the salon higher in the list for 1, 3, 7 or 30 days. Salons use the business price list. Prices in Rwandan francs (RWF):

Boost	What it does	1 day	3 days	7 days	30 days
Top Salon & Spa	Paid placement above all regular salons and barbers. The name is a label of the boost, not a rating.	1,500	3,750	7,500	22,500
Elite VIP Salon	Paid placement above the other boosted salons	2,500	6,250	12,500	37,500

Sticker on the salon card (POPULAR, TOP STYLIST, BARBERSHOP, NAIL ART, SPA & WELLNESS or HOME SERVICE): 500 RWF a day, with the same discounts for longer periods (1,250 for 3 days, 2,500 for 7 days, 7,500 for 30 days). Sold only together with a boost.
Golden design for the salon card: 500 RWF once, for the whole boost period. Sold only together with a boost.
You pay inside the app with MTN Mobile Money and confirm the payment with your MoMo PIN on your phone. The app shows the total before you pay.
A boost changes only the position and the look of a salon card. It does not skip the check, it is not a rating, and a "verified" mark cannot be bought.
When the boost ends, the sticker and the golden design end with it. The salon stays published in its normal place.
Only one boost at a time: a new boost can be bought only after the current one ends.

What is good about it

Free for salons: no listing fee and no commission on bookings.
Prices and the duration of each service are visible before you go.
You choose a free time yourself. The app offers only times when the whole service fits, so two clients do not get the same time.
Portfolio photos show the salon's real work, and the Men and Women tabs shorten the search.
The salon must answer: a request with no answer for 10 hours expires automatically and you are told.
Notifications for both sides: the salon learns about a new request or a cancellation, the client learns about the answer.
A free booking calendar for small salons and single masters: today's appointments, all requests, and closed days.
Masters who work at clients' homes can list themselves with the Home Service mark.
The whole app is under 400 KB and opens in the phone browser, and it works in 11 languages.
Every new salon is checked before it appears, and every page has a report button.

Limits, and what protects you

What to know	What protects you
Kivu does not hold or transfer the money. There is no payment inside the app for a service, and Kivu cannot refund a payment.	Pay the salon directly after the service. If a salon asks for money in advance by Mobile Money, check the receiver's name on your phone before you confirm.
A booking is a request until the salon confirms it. The salon can cancel it, and a request with no answer for 10 hours expires.	Wait for the Confirmed status and the notification before you travel, or tap "Call" and phone the salon.
Kivu does not check the masters' skills, certificates, hygiene or licences. The mark Certified Staff is set by the salon itself.	Look at the portfolio photos, ask questions in chat, and ask to see a certificate if it matters. Use the report button; the team hides pages that cheat.
With Home Service a master comes to your home, or you go to a master's home. Kivu does not check who the master is.	Agree on the details in chat first, have another person at home if you can, and pay after the service. Report anything unsafe.
Services, prices, durations and portfolio photos are written and uploaded by the salon. After the first check the salon changes them without a new check.	Confirm the price in chat before the visit if the exact amount matters. Use the report button if the page does not match reality.
The calendar shows only what the salon has entered in Kivu. A salon that also takes clients by phone must close those days itself or cancel a request that does not fit.	The salon confirms every request by hand, so a time that is not really free should be cancelled rather than given to two clients.
When you send a request, the salon sees your name, the phone number from your Kivu profile and the note you wrote.	Only the salon you send the request to receives them. It needs them to reach you about the visit.
There is a limit on how many unanswered requests one account can have at the same time.	The limit keeps salons free from false bookings. When a salon answers, or you cancel a request, you can send a new one.
There are no written reviews and no star ratings. Places have likes, and "Top Rated" in the filter sorts by the number of likes.	The paid labels "Top Salon & Spa" and "TOP STYLIST" are advertising, not ratings. Judge by the portfolio and the likes.
Most pages were added from public map data and are not managed by the salon. Their details may be out of date, and they have no booking and no chat; most of them have no services.	Call the phone number on the page to confirm the address and opening hours before you travel. The salon can take over the page for free and keep it up to date.

What to know

What protects you

Kivu does not hold or transfer the money. There is no payment inside the app for a service, and Kivu cannot refund a payment.

Pay the salon directly after the service. If a salon asks for money in advance by Mobile Money, check the receiver's name on your phone before you confirm.

A booking is a request until the salon confirms it. The salon can cancel it, and a request with no answer for 10 hours expires.

Wait for the Confirmed status and the notification before you travel, or tap "Call" and phone the salon.

Kivu does not check the masters' skills, certificates, hygiene or licences. The mark Certified Staff is set by the salon itself.

Look at the portfolio photos, ask questions in chat, and ask to see a certificate if it matters. Use the report button; the team hides pages that cheat.

With Home Service a master comes to your home, or you go to a master's home. Kivu does not check who the master is.

Agree on the details in chat first, have another person at home if you can, and pay after the service. Report anything unsafe.

Services, prices, durations and portfolio photos are written and uploaded by the salon. After the first check the salon changes them without a new check.

Confirm the price in chat before the visit if the exact amount matters. Use the report button if the page does not match reality.

The calendar shows only what the salon has entered in Kivu. A salon that also takes clients by phone must close those days itself or cancel a request that does not fit.

The salon confirms every request by hand, so a time that is not really free should be cancelled rather than given to two clients.

When you send a request, the salon sees your name, the phone number from your Kivu profile and the note you wrote.

Only the salon you send the request to receives them. It needs them to reach you about the visit.

There is a limit on how many unanswered requests one account can have at the same time.

The limit keeps salons free from false bookings. When a salon answers, or you cancel a request, you can send a new one.

There are no written reviews and no star ratings. Places have likes, and "Top Rated" in the filter sorts by the number of likes.

The paid labels "Top Salon & Spa" and "TOP STYLIST" are advertising, not ratings. Judge by the portfolio and the likes.

Most pages were added from public map data and are not managed by the salon. Their details may be out of date, and they have no booking and no chat; most of them have no services.

Call the phone number on the page to confirm the address and opening hours before you travel. The salon can take over the page for free and keep it up to date.

What Kivu Salons & Spas does not do

It does not provide beauty or massage services itself: every page belongs to the salon or master that posted it.
It does not employ or check the masters.
It does not take, hold or refund payments for a service.
It does not take a commission or a listing fee.
It does not promise the result or the quality of a service.
It does not give medical treatment or medical advice.
It does not sell "verified" marks or ratings.

How Kivu earns from this section

From Salons & Spas, Kivu earns only when a salon chooses to buy a boost for its page. There is no commission on bookings, no listing fee and no fee for the booking calendar.

Later, if users need them, Kivu plans subscriptions for businesses and advertising. Taking a percentage of bookings is not planned: Kivu does not handle the money between the client and the salon.

Questions and answers

How do I book a salon or a barber in Rwanda with Kivu?

Open kivu.site, sign in with a free account and open Salons & Spas. Open a salon, tap "Book Slot" next to a service, pick a date and a free time and tap "Book Now". The request is saved and a chat with the salon opens. The salon confirms the request, and you get a notification. You pay the salon directly after the service.

Is my appointment confirmed right after I book?

No. You send a request, and the salon confirms it by hand. Wait for the Confirmed status in "My Appointments" and the notification. If the salon does not answer in 10 hours, the request expires automatically and you are told, so you can choose another salon.

Why can I not book at some salons on Kivu?

Most pages were added by Kivu from public map data, so that people can find the address and the phone. Until the salon takes over its page, it has no services, no booking and no chat. On such a page tap "Call" to phone the salon. Booking works only at salons that manage their own page and list services.

How do I pay for a salon service booked on Kivu?

You pay the salon directly, in cash or by Mobile Money (MTN MoMo or Airtel Money), usually after the service. Kivu does not take or hold the payment and adds no fee.

Does Kivu take a commission from salons?

No. Listing a salon, the services, the portfolio and booking requests are free, and Kivu takes no commission. A salon pays only if it chooses an optional boost to be shown higher, from 1,500 RWF a day.

Can I find a hairdresser or a massage at home in Kigali?

Some salons and masters set the mark Home Service; use the "Home Service" filter to find them and agree on the details in chat. Kivu does not check who the master is, so agree on everything first, have another person at home if you can, and pay after the service.

How do I add my salon or barbershop to Kivu?

Sign in at kivu.site, open Salons & Spas and open the form "List My Salon". Add the name, type, whom you serve, phone, hours, address and map pin, then your services with a price and a duration, and tap "Submit Application". After a check the salon appears in the list and on the map. It is free.

My salon is already on Kivu. How do I take over the page?

Open the page and tap "Is this your business?", then "Send request". You get a code. Kivu calls the phone number shown on the page and asks whether you sent the request, or you write to Kivu from the official page of the business with the code. After the check the page is yours and you can change the text, photo, services and prices. It is free.

How do I remove my salon from Kivu?

Write to Kivu through Contact Us in the app. If the page is about your business and you want it removed, Kivu takes it down within 48 hours.

How does Kivu know which times are free at a salon?

The app counts the free times from the salon's opening hours, the duration of the service you chose and the times already taken by other requests. The salon can also close whole days. Clients who booked by phone are not in Kivu, so the salon still confirms each request.

Can I cancel a salon appointment on Kivu?

Yes. Open "My Appointments" and cancel a request that is waiting or confirmed; the salon gets a notification. Please cancel early so the salon can give the time to someone else.

How much does it cost to promote a salon on Kivu?

A boost costs from 1,500 RWF a day: Top Salon & Spa is 1,500 RWF a day and Elite VIP Salon is 2,500 RWF a day. Both are names of paid placements, not ratings. Longer periods are cheaper per day: 7 days cost the price of 5 days, and 30 days cost the price of 15 days. You pay with MTN Mobile Money inside the app.

Related sections of Kivu

Clinics: Clinics, pharmacies, dental and optical places with address, phone and appointment requests.
Hotels: Hotels and guest houses with room types, prices and booking requests.
Food: Restaurants and cafes with menus, prices and orders by chat.
Market: Free classified ads, including cosmetics and barber equipment.