Stephan Colle, owner of Belgotex and Lano as well as a former CEO and family shareholder of Beaulieu, has passed away.

Colle passed away on Monday at his home near Pietermaritzburg in South Africa at the age of 66. He had reportedly been ill for several years.

Widely viewed as a visionary and hailed for his integrity, Colle started his career in 1983 when he and his wife were sent to South Africa by his father-in-law, Beaulieu Group founder Roger De Clerck, to establish a newly built factory.

Together with his wife, Colle turned Belgotex (South Africa) into an international giant with a footprint also in South America, Australia and Europe. In 2025, they added Lano to their stable.

Colle always preferred to remain in the background and putting his companies first. Due to his illness, he was increasingly being represented in recent years by his trusted aide, Dirk Dees.