About Us
Proudly South African. Family-owned. 50 Years Strong.
For over five decades, the Donald Brown Group has delivered high-quality salt that nourishes lives and supports communities — guided by purpose, built on legacy.
Our Story
For over five decades, the Donald Brown Group of Companies — including Saltcor, Royal Salt, Salpura, African Salt Works, and Cape Salt Company — has been at the heart of producing the salt that helps feed families and provide safe drinking water across Southern Africa.
Founded in the early 1970s by Donald Brown, our journey began with a simple goal: to create a sustainable, locally rooted business that made a real difference. Under his leadership, the company grew from humble beginnings into one of the country’s most trusted salt producers. Although we sadly lost our founder four years ago, his vision continues to guide everything we do.
Today, we remain proudly family-owned, driven by the values that Donald instilled in us:
Passion. Responsibility. Integrity. Determination. Efficiency.
With over 400 dedicated employees, we continue to take PRIDE in our South African heritage and the essential role our salt plays in daily life — from the food on your table to the water you drink.
Our MISSION
Since 1975 we at the Donald Brown Group of Companies endeavour to produce and supply quality salt products in a sustainable way for the benefit of our employees, customers and community.
Salt with a heart
Our family business has been going for over 50 years and this means we take a long term view when it comes to business. Not only do we put our customers’ needs first and treat our employees like family, it is important for us that we make ‘Salt with a heart’.
This means caring for the environment, supporting communities and enriching the economy for the long term sustainability of all.
Caring for Communities
Salt holds a very important role in keeping us
- Healthy as it provides essential minerals and trace elements in the diets of people and livestock
- Fed as it is used as a preservative and flavouring in many everyday foods
- Safe as it is used in water treatment processes
- Equipped with everyday essentials as it is used in numerous manufacturing processes from textile dying to the production of various chemicals and detergents.
We are passionate about the good our salt can bring to the wider world, but first and foremost, we recognise that we could not do it without the employees that keep our operations running or our customers that choose to do business with us.
In everything we do, we put our customers’ needs first and treat our employees equally and like family.
Beyond our doors, we also believe in giving back and invest in projects that Care for the Community.
In Harmony with Nature
Our salt is a natural gift of the earth; produced from sun, wind, water and earth. It is constantly regenerated because we work in harmony with nature to ensure we never take more than we need and help the environment to replenish what it needs.
Protecting the future of our planet also means continually working to improve our environmental performance. We have been reducing carbon emissions by adopting more renewable energy sources at our pans and increasing our transport efficiency through the use of distribution centres. We also ensure our salt pans can be managed in a way to better allow nature to flourish.
For example; Our salt pans on the West Coast are home to a vast array of rare and beautiful birds. We work in harmony with nature to ensure these birds continue to thrive, whilst people can enjoy the exceptional flavour of our West Coast Sea Salt.
Enriching the Economy
Our business plays a key role in supporting the economy from the sheer volume of products and services that rely on our salt. We are also the single largest non-agricultural employer in the Brandvlei area.
Beyond our doors, we also believe in giving back. We contribute to the local communities in which our salt is made through the support of local schools, public services, feeding and education programs.
Proudly Members of the Donald Brown Group of Companies
