Seasoned by Walvis Bay Salt Refiners

Walvis Bay based giant salt producer and manufacturer, Walvis Bay Salt Refiners (Pty) Ltd says that they are on track in meeting their year-end production target of 90,000 tonnes of salt. This is according to the Production Manager, Ronnie O’Brien who told the Economist that since the extension of the plant, production has increased as coarse and refined salt are now produced in two different facilities.
First established in 1964, the company has recently extended its production floor as well as its work-force to meet high customer demands especially from the international markets. “Towards the end of last year, we set up a new plant which means that we now have two different production plants for the finer as well as coarse salt.”
According to O’Brien, the Company produces and supplies the export market with 8,000 tonnes of salt per month. “We produce 12 tonnes of salt an hour and the plant works 30 days a month which in total gives a production output of 8,000 tonnes of salt production on a monthly basis.”
He says that there is a high demand of salt both from local farmers and an even greater demand for salt from big companies in Africa, and with the second plant now in full operation, supply for the high demand can be met. “There is a very high demand for salt and on a scale of 100, 90% of our salt is sent to other countries. Although the local market which comprises of mostly direct contact with  farmers and Agra has also grown significantly over the years, the lion share of our salt production is exported to other African countries.”
O’Brien said that the low salt demand from the local consumer market is due to the fact that they are not a branding company.
Salt refiners export packaged salt according to client branding requirements which is then placed in containers for shipping or truck freight to different destinations depending on the area the client is based. “Salt refiners package refined or coarse salt, according to client specifications and branding requirements from individual companies, in different sizes.”
The company extracts the raw salt from sea-water and the salt goes through the numerous processes of washing, slurring and crushing (if it is refined).
“Our salt is completely natural and free of flavorings and other additional ingredients except for the potassium iodide which is added during the last stages of the production phase.”
Salt Refiners pack salt into different sized bags for clients per request from the normal small 500g to 50 kg and also directly sells large sacks of salt to local farmers.
Salt Refiners employ approximately 160 people and packages salt for well-known gigantic companies such as Robertson Spices, and other African countries like Nigeria, Kenya, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia and Angola.