US takes local salt

Walvis Bay Salt Refiners (WBSR) is in the process of exporting its first shipment of salt to the United States of America. The loading of 50 000 tonnes of salt earmarked for the US East Coast onto the bulk carrier Condor at berth 3 in the Walvis Bay harbour, started on 18 January. It was completed on Tuesday evening.The company said that efforts to grow the number of clients for salt supply beyond the traditional African market finally paid off when it secured a contract to supply the commodity after years of intense marketing in both North and South America. According to WBSR business development director Gregory Swartz, the company was looking to supply approximately 250 000 tonnes of salt to the North and South American markets. “We produce 3 500 tonnes of salt per day on average and generate an estimated N$1.8 million in revenue per month. The largest quantity of our product is destined for Nigeria where it is used for food preservation in the rural areas.” Namport will earn an all-inclusive tariff of approximately N$325 544 for the landing and the handling of the 50 000 tonnes of salt and for the provision of port security services. WBSR's managing director Andre Snyman explained that the company undertook an intensive analysis of the international salt export market and invested in expanding its production capacity recently. The company completed its salt field expansion programme in 2016 and increased annual production from 700 000 tonnes to about 1 000 000 tonnes. Being the largest salt mine in sub-Saharan Africa, the company enjoys economy-of-scale benefits in its production processes. The company is part of the wider Synchem Group and is ISO 9001 certified.According to the Salt Institute, there are more than 14 000 known uses of salt. In its edible form of table salt, it is commonly used as a condiment and food preservative. Salt is the most effective, readily available, and economical highway de-icer in use today and accounts for 8% of all salt production. It is also used in various applications such as water treatments and chemical plants. OTIS FINCK

US takes local salt

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Namibian Sun 2026-01-30

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US takes local salt

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Namibian Sun 2026-01-30

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