Eight Degrees South began on a trip to Bali, long before there was any plan to start a business. It was my first visit to Indonesia and I was struck by how much furniture is still made by hand. I remember walking past a man sitting on the pavement, finishing a chair he had built himself. No factory, no production line, just skill and pride in his work. That moment stayed with me.

​

Not long after, I took the leap and started Eight Degrees South with my best friend and business partner, Lola. It’s a personal business in every sense. Lola’s son came up with the name, and from the beginning our siblings, adult children and extended family have all been involved. Most of our staff started out packing boxes in our garage, and today those same people run our 800sqm dispatch warehouse and showrooms.

​

Over time, the business has grown into something we never imagined it would be. I moved to Indonesia to focus on production, quality and building strong relationships with our manufacturers, while Lola remained in South Africa running our local operations. It’s allowed us to be hands-on on both sides.

​

It’s been a constant balancing act, growing our international container business while keeping our Cape Town store well stocked. Some months we’re manufacturing for hotels and large projects in the Caribbean, other months we’re shipping containers home to meet local demand. We work with clients all over the world and wouldn’t have it any other way.

​

Thank you for following our journey, and if you’ve supported us along the way, thank you for keeping our dream alive.

Jo