Business Bagel recently told our story in a short video called From garage to global. It takes under 2 minutes to watch, and it covers how a R5,000 loan and a lot of late nights turned into Thula Wall. Here is the video, and a little more of the story behind it.
It started with one wall
We had always wanted to start a business together. The idea came from our own home. We wanted a slatted wood feature wall, but the quote for solid wood was eye-watering, and nothing else on the market had the warm, natural look we were after.
What we wanted was simple: a ready-to-install panel with real wood veneer on an acoustic felt backing. Nobody sold one in South Africa, so we decided to make it happen ourselves.
A R5,000 loan and a lot of late nights
In 2021 we borrowed R5,000 to buy materials and started making wall panels after hours, while we both still worked our corporate jobs.
We called it Thula, which means “be calm” or “hush” in isiZulu. That is exactly what a good acoustic wall does to a room.
From side hustle to WoodUpp
The side hustle kept growing. In July 2023, the Danish acoustic panel company WoodUpp acquired Thula Wall. Today the panels on your wall come straight from WoodUpp in Denmark, made with the same materials and standards they are known for in Europe, and we lead WoodUpp’s operations across Africa and the Middle East.
A few years ago we were cutting panels after work. Now we help bring Danish design to homes and businesses across two regions.
Still a South African team
For all the growth, the way we work hasn’t changed. We are a South African team. We run the showrooms, the warehouse and the installations here, and we are the people you’ll speak to from your first sample to your finished wall.
- See the finishes first: order A4 samples and hold them against your own wall.
- Visit us: see full-size panels at one of our six showrooms in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Stellenbosch, George and Ballito.
- Let us do it: request a quote for measuring, panels and installation.
Thank you
None of this happens without the customers who took a chance on a small local brand, the installers and designers who work with us, and our team. Thank you to Business Bagel for telling our story, and to everyone who has put a Thula Wall in their home.
Want to know more about where we come from? Read our story, or start with our Akupanel acoustic panels.
Rowan and Roxy Snyman, co-founders of Thula Wall
