In this episode, SA Food Stories explores the remarkable journey behind Oryx Desert Salt, a premium African ingredient born from the remote deserts of Southern Africa.

Founder Samantha Skyring shares the unlikely story of how a resource hidden beneath the Kalahari desert became a globally distributed gourmet product. What began as a spiritual encounter with nature in the Namib Desert eventually led to the creation of a brand built on purity, sustainability and a deep respect for the natural world.

The conversation dives into the science and mythology of salt — from its ancient cultural significance to its modern demonisation in nutrition debates. Samantha explains how highly processed table salt transformed a once-valuable mineral into a misunderstood commodity, and why naturally harvested salts may offer a different relationship with the body.

But the story is as much about entrepreneurship as it is about food. After returning to Cape Town as a newly single mother, Samantha sold her house and invested everything she had into launching the business — starting with 34 tons of salt and a small workspace in a friend’s garden. Through persistence, community support and an unwavering belief in the product, the brand eventually grew from local restaurant sales into international distribution across more than twenty countries.

Along the way, she shares lessons about resilience, intuition, sustainability and the power of believing deeply in the product you bring into the world.

This episode is a reminder that extraordinary businesses can grow from the simplest ingredients — and that sometimes the smallest things carry the biggest impact.