A b o u t U s

Unleash your inner outlaw with custom pieces as unique as you are. No rules, no regrets.

Our story

In 2008, a lifelong passion became a reality. Founder and principal artist Jade McLean — with a fine arts background from AAA College of Advertising — committed to transforming his love of ink into a studio that stands for artistry, integrity, and creativity.

The spark? A friendly wager. A poker game. Jade’s win became the seed for Jaded Ink, and in early 2009, our doors opened to the public. What began with just three people, Jade, business partner Murray, and apprentice Kylie — quickly grew into a creative hub within South Africa’s tattoo scene.

Over the years, we’ve hosted tattoo fashion shows, sponsored musicians, athletes, and local talent, and appeared in media across the country. But the heart of Jaded Ink? The people who walk in seeking something unique — and walk out with something more than ink.

Who is Jaded Ink?

At the southern tip of Africa, in the vibrant heart of Johannesburg, Jaded Ink isn’t just a tattoo studio — it’s a movement. We believe tattooing is a powerful form of self-expression, and our mission is to make it accessible, meaningful, and personal. With top-tier equipment and a lineup of award-winning artists, we help you wear your story on your skin.

Gabby H

Jade was great – helped my brother and I put together a design and choose a good placement. Really happy with the tattoo and the vibes in the shop are always great. Everyone is always friendly and helpful

M Wilson

I had such an amazing experience at this tattoo shop! From the moment I walked in, the energy was so welcoming and positive it immediately put me at ease. The staff were incredibly friendly, easy to talk to, and made the whole process comfortable. You can tell they really care about their clients and creating a good atmosphere. I left not only with a tattoo I love, but also feeling really happy with the whole experience. Highly recommend!

J Russell

I have visited Jaded Ink before and the experience is the same. Designing the tattoo was not a problem at all, and the placement is exactly where I want it. It also didn’t take long from being finished but that is because my tattoo wasn’t too big for it to take hours. It all depends on the size and complexity of the tattoo.

Definitely the right place to frequent, the quality never fails.

Louise Cloete

Thank you so much to Jade and his entire team at Jaded Ink! I’ve been “collecting” tattoos for over ten years and I’ve sat in many a tattooist’s chair. For the first-timers who are feeling uncertain about where to go, here are my findings:
1. Hygiene – 10/10
Everything is squeaky clean.
2. Shop aesthetics – 10/10
There is so much cool stuff to look at.
3. Atmosphere – 10/10
Jade is a chatty one! I truly appreciate this in an artist. This changes the entire experience because yes guys, it hurts and you might be sitting there for a while.
4. Service quality – 11/10
Jade’s work is impeccable
5. Affordability – 10/10
Guys, you get what you pay for. People are always looking for the cheapest plumber but then get upset when their house falls down. This is dum. At Jaded Ink you can have complete faith that your design will look the same once it’s on your skin, without breaking the bank.
6. Work ethic & Pride
This morning I received a message from Jaded Ink to check in on how my tattoo is healing. Because he is awesome and genuinely cares about his craft and his clients.

Kenna Boyle

I got a tattoo and piercing here and couldn’t be happier! The professionalism, artistry, and care is unmatched! I came in with an idea and they went above and beyond to make it happen. 10/10 recommend.

Frequently Asked Questions

Jaded Ink is leading the movement in making tattoo art an everyday form of self-expression, used as a statement of individual style. Equipped with the finest ink and tools.

Get In Touch

Our Sponsors

From the beginning Jaded Ink has set an unprecedented standard of professionalism and integrity throughout everything we do, and we choose to associate ourselves with like-minded individuals

Garreth "Soldierboy" Mclellan

A South African professional mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the Middleweight division of the EFC. A professional since 2009, he was one of the first South African MMA fighters to compete in the UFC.

Click here for: Garreth’s Profile

Jacques Joubert

Jacques and Jade collaborated on a half body piece of a custom freehand dragon that started in the centre of his back, below his neck, going down the whole left side of his back and onto his ribs, then wrapping around his thigh, down his leg all the way to his ankle.

Michiel "The Dark Horse" Opperman

On Michiel Jade started with the cherry blossom branches at the bottom of his wrist, which is where Michiel thought he was going to stop. He didn’t stop and it graduated to a full sleeve, with some samurai warriors and some koi fish.

Dino "The Lion" Bagattin

Dino is Jaded Ink’s longest standing sponsor, still going, our collaboration started at the beginning of 2012. We started with sleeving his right arm, then a lion on his chest and currently we are busy with his sleeve on his left arm.

Click here for: Dino’s Profile

Andrew "One Gear" Van Zyl

Big, heavyweight Andrew Van Zyl, definitely stepped up to the plate as far as tattooing goes. We started with the Hulk and Punisher combo on his ribs, which was big enough to be anyone else’s back piece. We continued onto a half sleeve of King Kong.

Click here for: Andrew’s Profile

Elvis "The Bomber" Moyo

Our newest fighting sponsor.

Click here for: Elvis’s Profile

Hekkie Budler

A South African professional boxer. He is a two-weight world champion, having held the unified WBA (Super), IBF, and The Ring light-flyweight titles in 2018, and the IBO and WBA minimumweight titles between 2011 and 2016.

Professional Career:

Budler won the vacant IBO minimumweight title with a unanimous decision win over Michael Landero. He then won the vacant WBA minimumweight title with a first-round knockout win over Karluis Diaz. He held the titles until March 2016 when he was defeated by Byron Rojas via unanimous decision.

we are proud to be in collaboration with South Africa’s most decorated fighter, it is a privilege and an honor.

Click here for: Hekkie’s Profile

Click here for: A recent article on Hekkie

One Day Remains

Performed at the Oasis Cokefest as well as a number of other events. A heavy rock band.

This is Jadedink’s first band that we sponsored, which introduced us to the local music scene. We would trade ink for publicity on all their social media platforms as well as being in the public eye to promote us.

One Day Remains also performed at Jaded Ink’s body art fashion show at the Barnyard Theatre, where over 500 people attended

The band also recorded a music video in the Jaded Ink studio, which featured Brandon Auret and Jade. They also wrote and recorded a song for Jaded, about tattooing.

Evolver One

An alternative rock band established in PE in 2001 as Evolver, renamed as Evolver One in 2010, thought by many to be one of the top bands of their time, and Jaded was proud to be associated with them.

Chromium

A heavy metal band, stereotypically associated with tattoos. They were the opening act for the Metallica concert at FNB stadium.

Seven Year Kismet

A heavy metal UK based band, who sourced us while in the UK through various acquaintances and while they were touring SA, they came to get tattooed by Jaded Ink.

Checkout 7YK’s Track: Video 6

 

Brent Harris - Just Jinjer

Drummer for Just Jinger, one of SA’s most influential bands of all time. The musicians in the band are some of the most seasoned in their professions and Brent is one of Jaded Ink’s longest standing sponsorships. Jade and Brent have collaborated on a number of different events. Brent also started his own brand “Brent Harris and Thee Jam” with which he sources musicians to play in different events.

Checkout Brent’s Track: Video 1

Checkout Brent’s Track: Video 2

Checkout Brent’s Track: Video 3

Checkout Just Jinjer’s Track: Video 4

Checkout Just Jinjer’s Track: Video 5

Checkout Just Jinjer’s Track: Video 6

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