Kitchen Wall Tiles in South Africa: Splashbacks, Sizes and How to Choose the Right Ones

Kitchen wall tiles do more work than almost any other surface in the home. They take steam from the kettle, splashes from the sink and grease from the hob, and they still have to look good every day. Choosing the right kitchen tiles comes down to four decisions: the material, the size, the finish and how far up the wall they go. This guide takes you through each one using the real range in our kitchen tiles collection, so you can build a shortlist with confidence before you visit the showroom.

What Makes a Good Kitchen Wall Tile?

A kitchen wall faces three demands that a living room wall never does. It has to cope with moisture, wipe clean without staining and handle heat near the cooking zone. That means a dense, glazed or fully vitrified tile with a surface that will not hold on to oil.

Most modern tiles meet that brief. Of the nearly 300 active tiles in our kitchen range, more than eight in ten are porcelain and almost all are rated for walls. The real differences are in how they look, how they are laid and how much grout you will be cleaning.

Porcelain or Ceramic Kitchen Wall Tiles?

Porcelain

Porcelain tile is fired at a high temperature until it is almost non-porous, with water absorption of less than 0.5 per cent. It is also harder and more abrasion-resistant than ordinary ceramic, which is why the same porcelain tile can run from the floor up to the splashback. Our porcelain kitchen tiles include stoneware, glazed and full-body versions, in sizes from compact 100 x 100 mm squares up to 1200 x 1200 mm slabs.

Ceramic

Ceramic wall tiles are lighter and easier to cut, and they often carry the glossiest, most characterful glazes. Good examples in our range are the Crackle 75 x 300 mm gloss subway tiles, which have a subtle crackle-glaze character, and the Amazonia 65 x 200 mm gloss tiles in Carbon, Coral, Moss and Sapphire.

Kitchen Splashback Tiles: Where the Choice Matters Most

The splashback is the area of wall above the worktop, and its job is to protect that wall from water and cooking splashes. Because it sits at eye level, it is also where most of the design impact happens.

• Behind the hob: fewer grout lines mean less to scrub. A large-format tile, or a glazed tile laid with a tight joint, is the easiest to keep clean.
• Behind the sink: water is the main concern, so choose a glazed or porcelain surface and ask your tiler about a stain-resistant grout.
• Open shelving or no wall units: this is your chance to take the tiles higher and turn the whole wall into a feature.

How far up should the tiles go? We cover standard splashback heights and the full-wall option in our guide to how high your kitchen tiles should go.

Popular Kitchen Wall Tile Sizes

Tile size changes the whole feel of a kitchen, from busy and handmade to calm and seamless.

Subway and Slim Formats

Subway tiles remain the classic kitchen wall tile because they suit almost every style. Our range includes 65 x 200 mm and 75 x 300 mm gloss ceramics, 125 x 250 mm Bohemia tiles and slimmer 48 x 450 mm porcelain strips, such as the matt kist range in Ivory, Jade and Charcoal and the glossy Life range. Lay them in a brick bond for a traditional look, stack them vertically to add height, or try herringbone for movement. Browse the full subway tiles range, or read our subway tiles guide for more layout ideas.

Square and Patterned Décor Tiles

Small squares and patterned tiles bring personality to a splashback. Options run from 100 x 100 mm Argile and Manacor squares and 147 x 147 mm Barcelona tiles to 200 x 200 mm patterned porcelain such as Ceramista Prisma and Renaissance. Shapes go further still: the Hexa Cottage hexagons measure 140 x 160 mm, and the 442 x 442 mm Tin Tile range comes in a gloss glazed finish in Copper, Iron and Zinc colourways. Explore our décor tiles for more patterned options.

Large-Format Tiles

The two most common sizes in our kitchen collection are 600 x 1200 mm and 600 x 600 mm. On a wall, a large format means very few grout lines, so the splashback is quicker to wipe down and the finish looks calm and almost seamless. Marble looks such as Calacata Gold, along with concrete and stone looks, all come in 600 x 1200 mm, and many can be laid on the floor and carried up the wall. Large tiles are heavy, though, so they need a flat wall and an experienced tiler.

Mosaics

For a small splashback behind a sink or a feature panel behind the hob, mosaic sheets add texture without covering a whole wall. See our mosaic tiles for glass, ceramic and marble options.

Gloss or Matt for Kitchen Walls?

Matt dominates our kitchen range, with nearly three quarters of the tiles in a matt finish, but gloss still has a clear place.

• Gloss: reflects light, which brightens a dark galley kitchen, and wipes clean easily. It is a natural partner for subway tiles.
• Matt: hides water marks and fingerprints better and gives a softer, contemporary finish. It suits large formats and concrete or stone looks.
• Polished and textured: polished porcelain gives a marble look real depth, while textured tiles add a tactile feel. Keep heavily textured surfaces away from the hob, where grease can settle into the texture.

Kitchen Tile Design: Colours and Looks That Work

Grey is the most common colour in our kitchen tiles, followed by white and beige. These neutrals are the safest choice if you have a busy granite or quartz worktop. If your worktop is plain, the splashback can carry more colour. Sage and other greens, blues and warm terracotta tones are popular ways to add character without overwhelming the room.

Beyond patterned décor tiles, concrete and stone effects lead our range, followed by subway, terrazzo, marble and wood looks. A useful rule of thumb: if your cabinets have a strong grain or colour, choose a quieter tile, and if the cabinets are plain, let the tile do the talking.

What Do Kitchen Wall Tiles Cost?

The prices below come from our online store at the time of writing (October 2026). They are given per square metre so you can compare like for like, but always check the live price on the product page.

• Large-format porcelain: 600 x 600 mm stoneware porcelain from around R230 to R280 per m², and most 600 x 1200 mm tiles at around R290 to R330 per m².
• Subway and décor wall tiles: most sit between roughly R650 and R1,400 per m². The Crackle subway tiles are around R690 per m² and the Kist strips around R1,130 per m².
• Specialist pieces: hexagons, metallic glazes and slim gloss strips run from about R1,500 to R1,900 per m², with a couple of feature tiles above R2,000.

Tiles are sold by the box, and the coverage per box is shown in each product name, from under half a square metre for small décor tiles to 2.88 m² for 1200 x 1200 mm slabs. Measure the splashback, multiply the height by the width, then add 10 to 15 per cent for cuts around sockets, windows and wall units.

Kitchen Floor Tiles: Match or Contrast?

Almost eight in ten of our kitchen tiles are rated for floors as well as walls, so you can run one large-format tile across the floor and up the splashback for a seamless, modern look. Alternatively, pair a calm porcelain floor with a patterned or glossy splashback, which keeps the floor practical and puts the personality at eye level. If you choose to contrast, pick one shared tone, such as a warm grey or an off-white, so the two surfaces feel related.

A Quick Checklist for Choosing Kitchen Wall Tiles

1. Decide how high the tiles will go, then measure the area.
2. Choose porcelain for durability, or ceramic for glaze character and easy cutting.
3. Pick a size: subway for a classic look, décor for personality, large format for fewer grout lines.
4. Choose gloss to bounce light around, or matt to hide marks.
5. Check the tile against your worktop, cabinet and floor samples.
6. Order 10 to 15 per cent extra, all from the same batch.

Find Your Kitchen Wall Tiles at Bella Bathrooms

The right kitchen wall tiles will protect your walls for years and set the tone for the whole room. Browse our full kitchen tiles and wall tiles collections online to build a shortlist, then visit our Kramerville showroom to see your favourites at full size, under real light and next to your worktop sample. Our team can work from your plans, calculate quantities and coordinate delivery with your builder. Get in touch to start planning your new kitchen.