About Us

When Rui finished his BCom in Financial Management in China in 2008, he planned to undertake a postgraduate qualification in Finance in the U.S. While scrolling through Flickr, he discovered Stellenbosch; deeply impressed with the stunning landscape and excellent University, he changed his plans and since 2009 pursued  a BPhil in Maritime Studies, followed by an MPhil with which he graduated in 2011. Rui is an outdoor and photography enthusiast, a Tai Chi teacher and since 2012 the founder of "On The Way (OTW) Resources" focusing on commodity trading and project consulting for both Chinese and South African corporates. In 2012, OTW became South Africa's largest seafood company and Oceana Group's agent to market seafood products in Asia. Over the past 10 years, OTW assisted local companies to explore Asian markets for wine, seafood and mineral exports. 

Shirley finished her BCom in Business Management in 2008 in China, planning to undertake her postgraduate qualifications in the U.K. After learning from Rui about exchange programs at Stellenbosch, Shirley changed her mind and chose Stellenbosch. Shirley undertook her BPhil in Maritime Studies in 2010, and finished her Mphil in 2012. From 2013-2015, Shirley was a Mandarin lecturer at Stellenbosch University and at local high schools. She then started focusing on her interests in tea brewing and dessert baking and attended several tea and baking training courses in China, finally becoming a tea master. “Tea and dessert are arts, perfectly combining colour, aroma and taste. The maker should be focused, creative and passionate of what he or she makes.” 

  Lydia finished her BComm in Logistics Management in China in 2011. Also impressed with Stellenbosch, she and her husband decided to come to Stellenbosch in 2012 and both were successfully admitted to Stellenbosch University. Lydia finished her Honours in Operation Management in 2013. She joined Jinko Power in 2013, a solar company based in China. At Jinko Power, Lydia was in charge of supply chain management and did highest KPI in SA  branch, based on her extensive knowledge of data analysis obtained at Stellenbosh university. From 2017, Lydia joined OTW and developed her career in international commodity trading.

Living up to his name, Mountain is a professional mountaineer, photographer, adventurer, traveller and painter with footage from every continent on earth. He has extensive experience at large Chinese corporates (Chinabird, Transsion, Hisense) that spans 26 years. Mountain met Rui on Route 318 when they were heading to Tibet in 2007. They became instant friends and decided to take an unforgettable roadtrip in 2015 in South Africa's Garden route and R62. In 2017, Mountain decided to study at Stellenbosch University's Business School, majoring in Futures Studies. In 2018 Mountain graduated with his Master's degree and now mostly enjoys the beautiful landscape and wines in Stellenbosch.