Lewis Thomas
Trained with Vidal Sassoon and Toni & Guy in London. Founder of Cape Town's largest professional hair salon group. Building an industry since 1984.
1984
Year Partners Hair Design was founded in Cavendish Close, Cape Town
40+
Years building Cape Town's most established professional hair salon group
25
Salon locations across Cape Town under 4 brands
250+
Professionally trained stylists working across the Partners Hair group
From London to Cape Town - The Story Behind Partners Hair
Just over 40 years ago, a young hairdresser from the United Kingdom arrived in Cape Town carrying little luggage, less money, and an unshakeable conviction that he was going to build something great.
Lewis Thomas had trained with two of the most iconic names in professional hairdressing - Vidal Sassoon and Toni & Guy in London - and that education gave him not just technical mastery, but a philosophy: that professional hairdressing, done properly, could be transformative. He believed Cape Town was ready for it.
With his wife's unwavering support - and the proceeds from selling her car - Lewis opened his first salon in Cavendish Close, Claremont, in 1984. It was a single chair, an enormous dream, and the beginning of what would become Cape Town's largest professional hair salon group.
The Decision That Defined the Business
In 1994 - a landmark year for South Africa - Lewis made one of the most consequential decisions of his career. He opened two new Partners Hair salons at Somerset Mall in Somerset West.
He recalls driving along the N2 highway after a full day at the Claremont salon, not passing a single civilian vehicle - only Casspirs parked along the roadside. In that moment, a voice inside him questioned whether the salons could possibly succeed. He trusted his instincts anyway.
Today, the Somerset Mall salons are among the busiest and most profitable in the entire Partners Hair group. It was a decision that taught Lewis the most important lesson of his career: that the people who succeed are the ones who move forward when everyone else hesitates.
Building the Next Generation of South African Stylists
For Lewis, building a great salon group was never just about the business. It was always about the people inside it.
In January 2012, he opened the Partners Hair Design Training Academy - a longstanding dream realised. The academy offers full NQF 2, 3, and 4 Ladies Hairdressing qualifications, training both Partners Hair staff and external learners in a purpose-built environment that replicates the professional salon experience from day one.
Learners work with products from the world's leading professional brands and are trained in the same in-salon software used across the industry. The academy's annual graduation show has become one of the hairdressing industry's most anticipated events in the Western Cape.
Lewis's conviction is simple: the best investment a salon group can make is in the training and development of its people. Partners Hair's reputation for excellence is built on it.
Four decades of industry recognition
Awards & Recognition
Vidal Sassoon & Toni & Guy
Trained with two of the most iconic names in international professional hairdressing before bringing that expertise to South Africa.
2x SA Hairstylist of the Year
Two-time winner of the South African Hairstylist of the Year — the industry's most prestigious individual recognition for technical excellence and creative achievement.
National & International Awards
Recipient of numerous national and international industry awards across four decades of professional hairdressing excellence.
Sanlam Entrepreneur of the Year
Finalist for the 2013 Sanlam/Business Partners Entrepreneur of the Year award - recognition of business leadership beyond the salon industry.
Partners Hair Design Training Academy
Founded in 2012, the PHDTA has become the hairdressing industry's benchmark for professional training in the Western Cape.
In His Own Words
"Identify your passion and do not go for the money or the want. Do not let others put you off. Learn from your mistakes and find that X factor."
"When I worked for a boss I noticed that decisions made were not always conducive to the well-being of the business. I knew I could do it better - and I was prepared to bet everything on it."
- Lewis Thomas, Founder & Owner, Partners Hair Design
Experience the Partners Hair Standard
25 locations across Cape Town. Over 250 professionally trained stylists. The same commitment to excellence that Lewis brought from London in 1984 - still alive in every salon, every service, every day.