Richard Julius is an internationally experienced facilitator, trainer, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR/CSI) practitioner, and the Executive Director of OGC International, a cross‑border advisory connecting partners across China, South Africa and Switzerland.
OGC International advances market entry, stakeholder alignment, leadership development, and measurable social‑impact programmes—bringing together intercultural training, trade facilitation, and community‑focused development under one umbrella.
Born during apartheid in 1959 in Elsies River, Cape Town, Richard came of age amid legally enforced segregation and unequal opportunity—conditions that shaped his commitment to inclusion and social progress. He earned a BA from the University of South Africa (UNISA), began his career as a senior secondary school teacher, and later moved into the private sector with Caltex Lubricants South Africa, where he helped drive socio-economic initiatives and partnership building.
His engagement with China started in 1999, marked by invitations to official receptions hosted by the PRC Consulate and the South African Embassy in Cape Town. In 2000, he attended the FOCAC Ministerial Conference in Beijing, the State Banquet during President Jiang Zemin’s visit to South Africa, and received a letter of support from Finance Minister Trevor Manuel—a foundation for two decades of practical China–Africa cooperation in trade, tourism, education, and skills development.
From 2007–2010, Richard registered and operated a Representative Office in China for China South Africa Travel & Trade Solutions, overseeing HR and compliance, imports/exports, and government liaison while delivering tourism marketing, business‑management, entrepreneurship and exhibition training.
Between 2011–2017, he served with Sirwern International (China) as Manager (China Operations) and later Head: Africa Exports, coordinating sourcing, logistics, quality control, and distributor networks, and supporting international sourcing, expo coordination, and capacity building across African markets.
Richard has also contributed to leadership and governance in business and civil society, including roles as First Vice‑President of the South Africa–China Business Association (SACBA), Chairperson of the Sino‑African Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SAFCCI) and WECBOF, Director & Board Member of the Cape Town Business Opportunity Network, and Chairperson of NICRO (Mitchell’s Plain).
He has worked with provincial and municipal stakeholders, delivered keynote addresses at policy and community forums, and previously hosted a radio talk show focused on enterprise and community development.
In 2017, while in Beijing, China—where he is currently based—Richard’s wife passed away. In the wake of this loss, he made a deliberate pivot into a new field, choosing to work independently as a facilitator, trainer, consultant, and ghostwriter, channeling his experience into practical, people-focused work. In 2023, he joined OGC International as Executive Director, continuing that mission at a broader, cross-border scale.
Today he continues to advise organisations, design study tours and exchanges, and deliver leadership and intercultural programmes that translate partnerships into inclusive, measurable outcomes.