What started on Greenmarket square as a small business run out of the Eales' garage at home and employing all of 4 staff, has expanded into an international, operating in three countries and employing over 700 people worldwide. The e-commerce site in America has been trading successfully worldwide for some time. South Africa's newly launched e-commerce site is also proving to be a firm favourite with consumers.

Naartjie was founded in 1989 in Cape Town, South Africa, by Anne Eales, when she was unable to find anything that appealed to her to dress the first of her 3 sons in. Being a designer for a young ladies fashion label at the time, she started using off cuts to make clothes for baby Jasper. One thing led to another and 4 years and 2 more sons later, with husband Steve now also involved in the business, they opened their first shop in the V&A Waterfront in November 1992.

The Naartjie brand that she created is a successful synthesis of several design elements that make it distinctive, inspirational and very popular. From its inception, Naartjie has been a product focused company that generated new customers primarily through concentrating on its unique assortment and design elements. It quickly attracted an international following, including members of Great Britain's Royal Family and today receives business from loyal customers around the world including Africa, Europe, Asia and North America.