The company was established by Eduard Christian Marais in 1945.  He and his brother Karel became blind at a young age and had to attend the school for the blind in Worcester.   There they learned the skill of basket weaving.  The two brothers built the Basket Industry  in Paarl for 30-40 years.  They manufactured a wide variety of rattan baskets and furniture.  Christian was a determined and hardworking man who built the business.   After he passed away at an early age, his son JP Marais took over the business in 1973. His main focus was more the I&J commercial boats, Sasko, Agrimark and Woolworths.  All products were transported in baskets but they were replaced by plastic and there was a huge change in the basket manufacturing industry.  In 2017 after JP Marais suffered a medical condition, his youngest daughter, Caren Marais, joined the business.  Her main focus is to keep the family business close to her heart and grow it.