In 2000 Samantha Skyring hiked through the Namib Desert for seven days and experienced many face-to-face encounters with majestic Gemsbok, part of the genus consisting of four large antelope species called Oryxes.
While they can live without water for long periods, they won’t survive long without licking salt, essential to their survival in the harsh conditions of the Kalahari Desert.
It is here too in the remote Kalahari Desert where naturally organic crystal-white salt, is harvested from an ancient underground source which is renewable and sustainable.
This pure gourmet salt has found its way to a network of retailers in South Africa, and now the United States of America too.
But where did it all start for Samantha, founder and CEO of Oryx?
After discovering that the salt was being sold into Europe but not South Africa, she wanted to make this pure salt available locally. Oryx Desert Salt is unprocessed & unrefined and rich in essential, natural minerals and trace elements, all in the correct balance for the body to absorb and function optimally to improve health and vitality. No chemicals are added. It has a distinctive flavour, and less salt is needed to provide the same taste.
No dish at Restaurant Jan is complete without a pinch of Oryx Desert Salt – Jan Hendrik
South African customers have become loyal brand supporters of Oryx Desert Salt which can be found in premium Woolworths stores, Cape Union Mart, selected Pick ‘n Pay stores, Dis-Chem and Spar, as well as most health shops and delis countrywide.
The addition of the American market is a dream come true for Samantha, and signing a contract with Whole Foods Market, positions Oryx in the very market it is intended for. Whole Foods choose their suppliers carefully and is renowned for selling only products that have been sustainably produced. Their customers are conscious buyers who make purchases based on quality and ethics.
Whole Foods operates in 515 locations after the chain started expanding beyond Texas in 1984. In 2017 it was bought by Amazon, which immediately catapulted its footprint to a nationwide iconic chain group.
The long-lasting grinders have a ceramic grinding mechanism, so the grinder can be refilled up to 20 times and more, saving the customer from continuous purchasing of grinders and saving bottles and heads from recycling or landfill.
The logo is printed on the bottle so there aren’t any labels which can peel or collect dirt. A percentage of all products sold goes back to the TFPD foundation in support of the Kalahari San and Mier communities.
While the third consignment of Oryx is being packed to ship off, the salt has received an endorsement from Michelin-star celebrity chef, Jan-Hendrik, who says: “No dish at Restaurant Jan is complete without a pinch of Oryx Desert Salt.” Apart from SA and the USA, the brand is available in Namibia, Botswana, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Germany, the UK, Taiwan and Nigeria. Look out for Oryx Desert Salt and Pepper in Whole Foods next time you visit their shops or buy online.
