the mark of time
The rise of SA’s tattoos industry
The perception of tattoos has changed in SA. So has the industry. Michael Schmidt inks a tale of its development
19 March 2020 - 05:00
When I was five years old, Sandton was still a pig farm and my uncle was the only one in the family with tattoos — and then only because he was in the merchant navy and had crossed the equator.
Today, Sandton is Africa’s wealthiest high-rise enclave and the suburbs around it support more than 20 tattoo parlours, with a similar density in SA’s three other big cities of Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban. An estimated 700 parlours nationwide turn over perhaps R60m a year...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.