10 Top Tattoo Studios in Cape Town

A selection of the best tattoo studios in Cape Town and the Surrounds

There are a number of reasons why people may choose to go under the needle such as, rebellion, an adrenaline rush or to symbolize belonging to a group. Although the reason depends on the individual, you can’t deny that the body is a perfect blank canvas for self expression. Tattoos make a statement to the rest of the world and celebrate uniqueness. Cape Town is home to internationally acclaimed artists and studios that cater for the ink crowd, from those tattooed to within an inch of their skin to the bare skinned, tattoo-curious.

1 – Sins of Style
Sins of Style design custom only tattoos and designs are drawn up on the day, so that the client has control over the creative process. There are three tattoo artists that all have their own style; for example, Lee specializes in black and grey and favours large-scale, Eastern designs. The studio also specializes in hand poke, which is a manual technique using individual needles.

181 Bree Street | Cape Town

2 - Metal Machine Tattoo and Piercing Studio
Metal Machine’s quality and creativity knows no bounds – this studio will design everything from the smallest kanji on the foot to a full body, fitted phoenix and, since opening in 2003, has won a number of coveted  awards such as, 1st place for black and grey large at the African Ink Fest International Tattoo Convention. Artists are so confident in their designs that they draw freehand sketches straight onto the body.

49 Shortmarket Street | Cape Town

3 - Wildfire
Opened in 1994 by Simon and Manuela, Wildfire has had over 20 years of experience in the tattoo industry and the studio’s popularity is cemented in a seamless blend of artistic expression and business. Julian Louis Spaan, a permanent guest at the studio, won the award for the most unusual tattoo at the Dallas Route 66 International Tattoo Convention, for an innovative design involving exposed ribs and peeled back skin.

Canal Walk | Century City |Cape Town - 192 Long Street | Cape Town|  -  4a Buiten Street | Cape Town

4 - Skinscape
Skinscape, founded in 2003 by Morag Pringle, started as a one woman band and has since become Sea Point’s hotspot for ink addicts in search of custom designs. It’s a unique chance to interact with the artist herself in a relaxed atmosphere. Morag is tuned into the design element of tattoo artistry and her designs flow with the anatomy.

52 Main Road | Sea Point | Cape Town

5 – Urban Ink Tattoo and Piercing Studio
Ryan Bell started tattooing at a time when black and white tattoo's reigned supreme. Inspired by a fellow tattooist in Durban, he began to experiment with colour and with stellar results. The studio offers full colour Japanese tattoos and Ryan recently took home 5 trophies at Ink and Iron including Best Female Back Tattoo – a geisha sitting on a lotus surrounded by dragons.

4 Sandown Road | Table View | Cape Town

6 - Steel Chameleon (formerly Dragon Tattoos)
Marius Bosman opened Steel Chameleon in 1995, and as the name suggests, artists frequently change their styles to accommodate everyone; from tattoo virgins to the virtually covered. Marius was the first South African to perform a live human suspension for SABC, in 2003’s Free Spirit – certainly a talking point!

Shop 9 | Cape Gate Lifestyle Centre | Brackenfell / Nassau Gebou | Plein Street | Stellenbosch

7 - Davidson Ink
Do not be fooled by the fact that Hoodoo is a newcomer to Cape Town’s tattoo scene, as artists hail from all over the world and have years of experience. The studio offers a broad range of tattoo styles, over 90% of which are drawn straight onto the skin. The studio uses a range of top ink brands, subject to the style of tattoo.
Studio 54 | Eden on the Bay | Big Bay

8 - Mantra
Ink fanatics have a tendency to stick to what they know, but Samantha Millar is already making waves on Cape Town’s tattoo scene with 210 Long Street’s latest addition, Mantra. Samantha specializes in black and grey artistry, which is influenced by her extensive round the world travel. Mantra aspires to what the customer wants and, as Samantha works independently, a competitive pricing structure is offered here.

210 Long Street | Cape Town

9 - Incline Tattoo and Piercing
With over 15 years of experience, Incline design all styles such as, tribal, colour and portrait. All of their equipment is disposable – the tip and the grip of their tattoo machines are always replaced. Christina, resident artist, favours traditional, solid colour pieces such as, big ships and anchors.

1 Niekerks Lane | Claremont | Cape Town

10 - Kevins Kustom Tattoos
Kevins Kustom Tattoos has been a Cape Town favourite since the 80’s, when it was first opened by Kevin Brown. This studio is certainly the older and wiser of Cape Town’s tattoo studios.  Expect artists like Cathy Proctor who studied fine art at the Michaelis School of art and has practiced tattoo artistry for 12 years.

125 Waterkant Street | Cape Town

Looking for a trendy place to show off your new tattoo? Be sure to check out our Best of Cape Town Section.