Business

The man taking on Red Bull and USN in South Africa

Kirsten Minnaar • 13 August 2026

Founded in late 2023 by Greg Tinkler, South African wellness brand Gloot has grown rapidly, with its products now sold by major retailers such as Clicks, Dischem, Checkers, and Takealot.

South Africa’s wellness industry has seen impressive growth over the past few years, with products such as protein powders, creatine, and collagen now being commonplace in many households.

For example, a report from Grand View Research estimated that the South African whey protein market size will reach $63.4 million (R1.03 billion) in 2033.

However, even with the industry growing this quickly, there is still one area of the market which remains largely untapped – female wellness.

This is exactly the gap that Gloot – a South African female-focused health, beauty, and wellness nutrition brand – sought to address when it launched in 2023.

Today, the business sells products such as protein powders, energy drinks, weight-management supplements, and body mists. Many of Gloot’s products are available at major retailers such as Clicks and Checkers.

Before founding the company, Tinkler had spent over 15 years working in the sports nutrition and supplement industry. He was one of the first employees at Nutritech and eventually became the company’s sales director.

In this role, he helped grow the business from a startup into one of South Africa’s largest sports nutrition brands, with annual revenue exceeding R200 million during his time there.

“That experience gave me an incredible understanding of product development, retail, distribution and brand building,” he told Daily Investor.

“More importantly, it helped me identify a major gap in the market: Women were largely being overlooked by an industry that had traditionally been built for men.”

Tinkler said the idea for Gloot came from a simple observation – women wanted wellness products that were designed specifically for them.

They did not want products originally created for male bodybuilders with a pink label added afterwards. As such, the team wanted to build a brand that made wellness more approachable, enjoyable, and aspirational.

“From our branding and flavours to our product formats and customer experience, everything is designed with women in mind.”

“Today, Gloot is much more than supplements. It’s becoming a lifestyle brand focused on helping women feel stronger, healthier and more confident.”

Growing the business

The business took off quickly. It surpassed R200 million in revenue within its first 24 months and, by November 2025, had recorded retail growth of over 500%.

Gloot also saw its Direct-to-Consumer orders top 6,000 and was among the top 10 best-selling products on Takealot.

It also won several awards, including Takealot’s “Best Newcomer” award. They also won gold at both the Woman & Home and Glamour Beauty Awards in 2025.

Tinkler attributed this rapid growth to Gloot’s “community-first” strategy. The company has invested in building relationships with its customers through social media, content, education, and customer support.

“We’ve also focused on launching innovative products that solve real problems and creating a direct-to-consumer business that allows us to learn from our customers every day,” he said.

“Rather than trying to be everything to everyone, we’ve stayed focused on becoming the leading wellness brand for women.”

Even so, standing out in such a saturated market is no easy task. However, Tinkler said there are a few key things that set Gloot apart. Critically, Gloot focuses on building daily wellness routines.

“Everything starts with the customer and the goal they’re trying to achieve, whether that’s weight management, increasing protein intake, improving hydration, better sleep, or healthier skin,” he said.

“We’ve also focused heavily on making wellness enjoyable. Products need to taste great, look beautiful and fit naturally into everyday life.”

Since Gloot believes consistency is the biggest driver of results, Tinkler said they built products women genuinely look forward to using.

To attract female customers, everything Gloot does starts with women. This includes spending a lot of time listening to its community and understanding what they’re struggling with and what they want from wellness products.

“Our product development, branding, social media, education, and customer experience are all designed specifically for women,” he said.

“Rather than talking about perfection, we focus on confidence, balance, and becoming the best version of yourself. That message has resonated incredibly well with our community.”

Future plans

Over the past few years, Tinkler explained that there has been a notable shift in the wellness industry. “Consumers have become far more educated and intentional about their health,” he said.

“People are no longer looking for quick fixes. They want products backed by quality ingredients, supported by education and delivered by brands they trust.”

He noted that he has also seen functional wellness – a holistic approach to health that promotes overall well-being – become mainstream.

“Categories like protein, hydration, collagen, creatine, and gut health are growing rapidly as consumers look for products that support their everyday lifestyles rather than just fitness goals,” he said.

“Perhaps the biggest shift has been women taking a far more proactive approach to their health and wellness than ever before.”

Even though the space has already evolved so much, Tinkler said he believes this is only the beginning of a major shift in wellness.

“Consumers increasingly want brands that educate rather than simply sell, and they want products that fit seamlessly into their everyday lives. Our vision is to build far more than a supplement company,” he said.

“We want Gloot to become the most loved women’s wellness brand in Africa, creating products, experiences and a community that genuinely help women become healthier, happier and more confident.”

Going forward, Tinkler said the company’s ambition is to build the leading women’s wellness company in South Africa.

“Over the next few years, we’ll continue expanding our product portfolio across wellness, functional beverages, protein, weight management, beauty and everyday nutrition,” he said.

“Technology will also play a major role. We’re investing heavily in AI-powered customer experiences and personalised wellness support to help women choose the right products and build routines around their individual goals.”

He added that international expansion is also firmly on their roadmap once Gloot has further strengthened its position in South Africa.