Oryx Desert Salt founder Sam Skyring has taken one of the most familiar pantry staples and turned it into a premium consumer brand, using product design, refillability and South African origin to carve out space in an increasingly competitive FMCG market.
Oryx Desert Salt founder Sam Skyring. Image supplied
What began as a one-woman operation, with Skyring packing products herself, has grown into an international business with products on shelves, including at Whole Foods Market in the US.
The journey reflects a broader opportunity for South African consumer brands: building products that can compete on quality and design while retaining a strong sense of local identity.
For Oryx, that starts with its source: brine water held underground in an ancient aquifer in the Kalahari, naturally dried over a lunar cycle.
“The Kalahari Desert is at the heart of Oryx Desert Salt and has been essential in giving the brand its distinctive identity,” says Skyring.
Turning salt into a brand
The opportunity, however, was not simply to sell a different type of salt. It was to challenge the idea that salt should be treated purely as a commodity.
“We really questioned everything,” says Skyring. “Why should a salt grinder be plastic? Why should beautiful packaging be thrown away? Why shouldn’t something simple feel like something special?”
That thinking led to a product proposition combining food, design, sustainability and functionality.
Oryx uses a ceramic grinder head rather than plastic, while its glass bottle is designed to remain in use and can be refilled. The result is a product intended to sit visibly on a kitchen counter or dining table rather than disappear into the pantry.
“I have always wanted Oryx to be more than something you buy for the pantry,” says Skyring.
That premiumisation has allowed the business to compete on more than the price of salt itself, creating a stronger lifestyle proposition around an everyday product.
Scaling beyond the founder
Moving from a small entrepreneurial venture to a scalable consumer goods business required a shift from simply selling salt to building a structured brand.
Skyring identifies putting the right people, systems and infrastructure in place as one of the key turning points.
International expansion brought another significant milestone, with Oryx securing shelf space at Whole Foods in the US following years of relationship-building.
But growth also brought operational challenges.
“Perhaps the biggest lesson has been that you can’t rush the process,” says Skyring.
Her approach has been to build relationships, remain open to learning and develop the capabilities needed as opportunities arise.
“I kept showing up, I stayed open and curious, I kept building relationships, and I kept learning,” she says.
Making premium feel attainable
Premium positioning can be challenging in a market where consumers are increasingly conscious of household budgets.
Oryx’s refill model is designed to address that tension. Consumers make the initial investment in the glass bottle and grinder, then purchase refills rather than replacing the complete product.
“We’ve always wanted Oryx to feel premium but attainable,” says Skyring.
The model gives the brand a way to combine design and quality with a more economical repeat-purchase proposition.
Skyring believes consumers do not necessarily stop looking for quality when money is tight; instead, they become more selective about where they spend.
“Oryx allows you to have that premium experience on your table, while the refill system makes it a practical and economical choice for everyday use,” she says.
Earning shelf space
For independent FMCG brands, securing a listing is only the first hurdle. Staying there requires consistent execution and a strong relationship with the retailer.
Skyring says some of Oryx’s retail relationships have taken years to develop, reinforcing the importance of persistence, communication and understanding the retailer’s business.
“You have to build genuine relationships with buyers, understand their business, communicate well and keep learning,” she says.
She also believes South African brands should be more ambitious about competing beyond the local market.
“We have extraordinary products and stories here, and we can compete globally,” says Skyring.
Local identity, international appeal
Taking Oryx into international markets has also demonstrated that a South African identity does not necessarily need to be softened for global consumers.
“The more authentic and distinctive the story, the more compelling it becomes,” says Skyring.
The strategy is to retain the product’s distinctive source and production story while meeting international expectations around quality, design and sustainability.
“The Kalahari is our point of difference, and we really lean into that,” she says.
Sustainability as a business model
For Oryx, sustainability extends beyond the choice of packaging.
The company employs more than 40 people and has deliberately kept people at the centre of its packing operation despite suggestions to automate the process.
It also contributes a percentage of profits to support the First Peoples of the Kalahari through the work of !Xaus Lodge, supporting the preservation of culture and knowledge.
“Sustainability is much bigger than packaging or sourcing,” says Skyring. “It’s about building a business that is sustainable for the planet, for people and our joint future as a global community.”
The refill system is another practical expression of that approach.
According to Skyring, the system saved 1.2 million grinders from being purchased and discarded in landfills in 2025.
For FMCG brands, she believes refill models can create an opportunity to align environmental considerations with repeat purchasing.
“It’s a simple idea, but a powerful one: buy the beautiful grinder once, and then simply refill it.”
Taking Oryx further
The next phase of growth is expected to come increasingly from international markets, with airlines and hospitality identified as key opportunities for putting the brand in front of global consumers.
Oryx is also partnering with Made In RSA, an initiative aimed at helping South African products reach international markets that individual businesses may otherwise find too expensive to supply directly.
Skyring ultimately wants Oryx to help establish desert salt as a recognised category alongside sea salt and Himalayan salt.
“I’d love to see desert salt become a recognised category,” she says, “and for Oryx to be the brand people think of when they think of desert salt.”
Beyond the category ambition, she sees a larger opportunity for South African FMCG businesses to take local products and resources into global markets.
“We don’t need to become less South African to do that,” says Skyring. “I think our opportunity is to become even more proudly South African and show the world what we have.”
