Beyond creating jobs and driving economic activity, local enterprises strengthen communities by keeping money circulating close to home, building personal customer relationships and offering services tailored to local needs.
Their impact is both commercial and deeply human yet they rarely receive the recognition afforded to multinational corporations and global brands.
For an independent business to survive, let alone thrive, over several decades is no small feat. Western Cape-based photographic, printing and framing specialist ORMS, which was founded in 1996, is a success story worthy of our attention.
Especially when you consider its humble beginnings. It all began in the small home garage belonging to Mike Ormrod, who’d been a dedicated shutterbug since his days at school.
This early love for photography led him to become a commercial professional, starting out in Cape Town before relocating to London to work for independent photographic retailer Wallace Heaton.
It was his return to the Mother City that prompted the opening of the first ORMS store, which burgeoned into an outlet at Cavendish Square shopping centre followed by a flagship store on Roeland Street in the CBD, which is still open today.
Since then, the company has grown into one of the country’s leading photographic and printing retailers, with multiple branches across Cape Town, Bellville and Somerset West, one specialist service outlet in the Cape Town CBD, a photography school and a nationwide e-commerce operation.
What it takes to last
ORMS’ longevity is particularly remarkable both in an industry that evolves so quickly, and within the greater context of the business environment itself, where most startups fail within their first few years. ORMS has spent nearly three decades adapting, expanding and building a creative hub that puts customer service and the creative community first – proof that resilience, innovation and community connection remain powerful ingredients for long-term achievement.
MD Jason Ormrod, son of founder Mike Ormrod, puts the company’s success down to staying on top of significant macro trends, providing excellent customer service and even better after-sales service for quality items and professional gear, and intimately understanding what people need.
Lifetime relationships
“It’s about creating lifetime relationships with our clients,” he clarifies. “Many customers tell us they bought their first camera here, developed their first roll of film with us or were introduced to photography through ORMS. That sense of trust, familiarity and shared passion is what sets us apart and has carried the business through the years.”
According to well-known Cape Town-based photographer Dave Southwood, who has been a guest speaker at prestigious Ivy League University, Yale, and whose work is in international collections and institutions such the Finnish Museum of Photography, Christoph Merian Stiftung in Switzerland and the South African National Gallery, “Mike always knows how to create a sense of atmosphere, from the first incarnation in Newlands until now. I’ve always respected his business acumen, which is coupled with a very reasonable predisposition.
“He has cornered the market and provided a service which has lasted this long, and grown from strength to strength, because he does have people skills, he’s reasonable and he’s also generous.”
The digital revolution
Moving with the times has been another crucial factor in ORMS’ success story. The company has had the agility and foresight to transform its previously all-analogue product offering in tandem with shifts in digital technology and market demand and ORMS continues to evolve by looking ahead to see what emerging tools will shift customers’ future needs.
Many of its added services and expanded product lines grew out of needs that were quickly identified when team members saw how their expertise could help bridge the gap between the now and the new.
Hence the business’ growth into rentals, repairs, photographic training and video education.
“With over 1 300 years of combined staff experience, we’ve built a culture where employees grow with the company and clients become part of the journey,” Jason says.
Part of the beauty of this growth lies in how many staff members have been with the company upwards of 15 years, offering an unmatched level of expertise.
E-commerce a demand led necessity
Developing online sales was a demand-led necessity. “In recent years we’ve seen a dramatic shift in the importance of online shops versus brick-and-mortar stores,” Jason admits. Yet the digital presence never deters the ORMS team from upholding the company’s core values.
In fact, the reverse holds true: “In a world increasingly driven by e-commerce and automation, personal connection has become even more important to us. We still believe in bringing people into our stores, having conversations, sharing knowledge and building relationships that last for years.
“Photography and creativity are deeply personal passions, and that human interaction is something you simply cannot replace online,” says Jason.
Why the customer matters
This congeniality and care for customers is part of the ORMS DNA. “This business was built on relationships, and we love that, and we love that on any given day you’ll still see the city’s top photographers walk into our showroom, many of whom have been with us since the start,” Jason says.
It’s care that goes beyond mere lip service. ORMS is widely acknowledged for having launched and supported photographic training and mentorship for the creative community through the ORMS Cape Town School of Photography.
ORMS hosts immersive workshops and photographic competitions, such as its annual outdoor showcase on the Sea Point promenade, and exhibitions which offer exposure for up-and-coming local creatives.
“By building a place that encourages connection, learning, and exploration, we’re able to stay close to our community and engage in ways that are honest, relevant and meaningful. Creativity belongs to everyone – and we’re here to keep that door open.”
The ORMS timeline at a glance
1996 – ORMS makes its debut.
2001 – ORMS Cape Town School of Photography opens.
2002 – ORMS Pro Photo Lab opens, starting the journey into professional printing.
2008 – Framed by ORMS opens.
2009 – Create & Print, ORMS’ photobook department, is established.
2010 – ORMS Bellville opens.
2014 – ORMS Repairs department is established.
2017 – ORMS Pro Photo Lab and Framed By ORMS merge into ORMS Print Room & Framing.
2025 – ORMS Somerset West opens.
2026 – ORMS turns 30.
Speaking on the eve of ORMS’ 30th birthday celebration, Jason says: “We feel undeniably proud, but we’re more focused on using this time to thank the people – our customers and our team – who helped build the business.
“Even as the industry has evolved, the values of honesty, integrity and putting people first have remained at the centre of everything we do.”
To experience the ORMS winning formula, visit any store or https://www.ormsdirect.co.za/ and to appreciate photographic excellence from the ORMS creative community, follow https://www.instagram.com/ormsdirect/
