Idlewylde

About Us

Idlewylde Agencies is a Cape Town-based, family-owned Indent Agency and Sourcing Company. We currently represent textile suppliers from China, Spain, Brazil, Turkey, Italy, Belgium, Holland, Germany and the UK.

Our company was started in the mid-90s by Charles van Heerden, who had extensive sales and marketing experience in the textile industry. He identified a niche in the market and took the plunge, developing a company that would bridge the proverbial gap between international manufacturers and local SA buyers of quality fabric.

Charles was soon joined by his wife Heather, and this formidable team built up relationships with suppliers and customers that have spanned decades. Their daughter Carol took over running the business in 2010, enabling it to continue its upward trend and keeping its finger on the pulse of the textile industry.

Charles was still very involved with Idlewylde Agencies right up until 2015 when he sadly passed away. Carol and Heather remain very much at the forefront of Idlewylde Agencies together with Karen Anne-Johnson. Before joining Idlewylde Agencies, Carol worked in the hospitality industry for many years and is passionate about service delivery and customer relationships. This together with their attention to detail and extensive product line, sets them apart from others, and are just a few of the many reasons for their success.

Meet the team

When you work with Idlewylde Agencies, you work with a small team of dynamic people with a passion for what they do, and a desire to exceed expectations. This is the team behind the Idlewylde brand.

About Carol
About Heather
About Karen
About Lucy
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Carol

It’s hard to pin Carol down to a particular job role. If something needs to be done, she does it. This is her nature: getting things done
and getting them done efficiently. However, if we were to give her a job title, it would probably be something like Head Honcho, or
Boss Lady.

After qualifying from Stellenbosch with a BA in Industrial Psychology, Carol worked in the hospitality industry for many years. She gave 110% to her positions at five-star hotels like the Lanzerac, Constantia Uitsig and the Cape Grace, before taking the Idlewylde reins from her parents in 2010.
She launched herself into running the business with the same enthusiasm and energy with which she embraces life, and there’s not much about her role that she doesn’t love. No days are ever the same, and she relishes the variety that this presents. The people, the beautiful fabrics, the travelling, the shows… what’s not to love?
Carol sets great store by service delivery and is passionate about customer relationships. Balancing these in an industry where she can’t control the manufacture or shipping of the fabric is a challenge, but one that she faces head-on. She would love to educate the end consumer on key performance indicators, as this would ease undue pressure on her team.
When she’s not on the road brightening up the textile industry, Carol is usually doing some kind of exercise or spending time with her family and friends. Sometimes she does it all at once: a run and a swim in the sea with friends, then coffee or breakfast with friends and family.
On a cold, rainy Cape Town day, you’ll often find Carol doing a 1000-piece puzzle with a glass of wine close by. But what’s always clear is that she embraces life – and everyone in it.

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Heather

Alongside her husband Charles, Heather was one of the founders of Idlewylde Agencies. For more than ten years, she was the chief
ball-juggler in the business, handling most of the finances and office admin, client liaison, and orders – while Charles was on the road
showcasing their gorgeous fabrics.

She gratefully handed most of those balls over to Carol but is still a noticeable force, making sure that payments are made and commissions received. Idlewylde has been a huge part of Heather’s life, and she loves still being actively involved in the business.
Her passion for beautiful fabrics hasn’t waned at all, and she admits that there are some exquisite ranges she would love to make time to learn about. Over and above her financial role, she’s able to draw on her vast experience and step in wherever needed to support the team.
She lives by the mantra that you don’t know what you can do until you’re challenged – and she’s happy to tackle any reasonable task. Heather had various administrative roles before Idlewylde and even spent some time as a local estate agent. Possibly one of her more interesting jobs was as a Dictaphone typist in court cases, which is a far cry from her childhood dream of being a ballerina or a kindergarten teacher!
Thankfully, challenges are few and far between. On occasion, Heather has to navigate tricky claim situations or chase customers up for payment. This goes with the territory, and she handles these situations with the same positive attitude and friendly manner that we see daily. But she can definitely wield a firm hand when necessary!
Heather loves the outdoors and spends much of her free time hiking, gardening, and walking. Her happy place is outside in the fresh air, surrounded by nature. But she’s not idle on rainy days – she knits regularly for charities, bakes, or spends time with her six grandchildren.

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Karen

Karen joined Idlewylde Agencies in 2012 as Office Manager. As part of a small team, her role is multi-faceted but contributes greatly to an office that runs smoothly and efficiently. There are many strings to her bow.

Apart from handling the bulk of the office administration, orders, and logistics, she engages regularly with customers and suppliers from around the world.
Idlewylde Agencies isn’t Karen’s first foray into the textile industry. She previously worked at The Fabric Library, which was her introduction to this exciting world. Here, she gained valuable knowledge and experience in administration and customer service, which enabled her smooth transition into the Idlewylde environment.
She also draws on her valuable experience working at large retailers like Edgars and Woolworths, where she handled credit control, reception duties, and customer service.
Karen loves her job, which is a common thread that runs through this small business. She enjoys the variety and finds herself constantly learning new things. She considers herself blessed – both to have the job she does and to be part of Idlewylde Agencies.
Her only regret is that there aren’t enough hours in the day! Oh, and the odd difficult customer can be a challenge, but thankfully, these are fairly rare occurrences.
One thing that stands out about Karen is her happy demeanour. She admits that she loves to laugh and believes that peace begins with a smile. Had she followed her childhood dream of being an air hostess, she would have had the most peaceful passengers in the sky! We love this, though – words to live by, indeed.
Karen values her family and her Lord above all else and loves them wholeheartedly. She enjoys spending time in good company, enjoying great food and a glass of wine. But she’s happy to work off the food and drinks by dancing, playing softball, and walking her dog.

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Lucy

Lucy fills the role of a general assistant at Idlewylde. She’s been an integral part of the Cowan family since 2015, working as a
Domestic Worker, Child Minder, and Chef for this busy family of four.

As the boys have grown up and the child-minding aspect of her role has lessened over the years, she now plays a larger part in ensuring that the Idlewylde cogs continue to turn in a clean, organised space. It’s this efficiency that makes Lucy a highly valued member of the team.
While the ins and outs of Lucy’s job aren’t difficult per se, she does find Mondays particularly challenging. After a couple of days without her keeping things together, there’s plenty to do – and sometimes not enough hours to do it in!
Lucy loves her job. She feels very much part of the family vibe at Idlewylde and thoroughly enjoys the banter with her colleagues and the friendly atmosphere that exists daily. She wouldn’t change anything, apart from perhaps some extra hands to cope with the Monday madness!
As a child, Lucy dreamed of being a doctor. Unfortunately, her parents were unable to afford medical school, so she had to forgo that idea. But in many ways, she’s unknowingly become a doctor of a different kind – with her positive attitude and friendly manner, she’s a healer of bad moods and brings out a smile in everyone.
Lucy spends her free time with her family and friends. She’s a very sociable person who loves meeting new people, spreading joy, and making people smile. She has a special relationship with her God, who has played a valuable role in her life, and she is grateful for everything He’s done for her.

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