8 Degrees South began on a trip to Bali, long before there was any plan to start a business.

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It was my first visit to Indonesia and what struck me most was how much furniture is still made by hand. I remember walking past a man sitting on the pavement, carefully finishing a chair he had built himself. No factory, no production line, just skill and pride in his work. That moment stayed with me.

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Not long after, I took the leap and started 8 Degrees South with my best friend and business partner, Lola. It has always been a personal business. Lola’s son came up with the name and over time our siblings, adult children and extended family have all been involved in building it. What started with a few people packing boxes in a garage has grown into a full warehouse and showroom, still run by many of those same people today.

As the business grew, so did our roles. I moved to Indonesia to focus on production, quality and building strong relationships with our manufacturers, while Lola stayed in South Africa running our local operations. Being on both sides has allowed us to stay hands on through the entire process, from design right through to delivery.

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Today we work with clients all over the world. Some months we are manufacturing for large hospitality projects in places like the Caribbean, other months we are shipping containers home to keep up with demand in Cape Town. It has been a constant balancing act but it is also what has shaped the business into what it is.

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At the heart of everything we do is a respect for craftsmanship and the people behind it. We work closely with our manufacturers, combining traditional techniques with designs that work in modern spaces across the world.

Thank you for following our journey and if you have supported us along the way, thank you for helping us build something that started with a single moment on a street in Bali.

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Jodi