Westdene resident spreads light wherever she goes
Bridget van Oerle is a busy businesswoman and community loudhailer in casting light on centres of excellence and individuals who deserve a spot in the collective consciousness of the city.
Bridget van Oerle lives in Westdene and is an award-winning publicist and events guru.
She treats her clients like family and ensures she gets the best possible publicity and coverage for them.
From working with Buskaid’s Soweto String Ensemble which enables the youth to excel through music to helping Wits University celebrate its centenary, there is no cause or client too big or small for this community-focused agent.
She started her journey in the media space more than 27 years ago when she formed BUZ PR, swivelling lightly to launch The BUZ Factor in 2022. She offers tailor-made PR support for clients within the creative, lifestyle, heritage, cultural, business and NGO industries.
A graduate in theatre crafts, the creative industry remains her passion and is where she focuses most of her attention. “I love mentoring up-and-coming industry professionals and am passionate about securing exposure for the youth by showcasing their talents.
“Projects that have made a difference to those around them or to the country are my most memorable. So many people and groups are soul projects like the Forgotten Angles Theatre Collaborative, Drama for Life, Moving Into Dance, Pieter Dirk Uys – too many to mention.”
An award winner several times over, she is the proudest of a more recent accolade, the Business and Art South Africa Small Business Award for companies that support the arts.
When not working for clients, she busies herself with promoting the best of what makes Jozi the city she so adores, either formally through her work or by helping build the community wherever she goes.
Since its inception 10 years ago, she has been busy working tirelessly helping 67 Blankets for Mandela Day, launched by Carolyn Steyn. It began as a grassroots organisation that has gone viral in recent years for supporting the vulnerable ‘one stitch at a time’. Blankets are handcrafted by generous knitters, and these are then collected and distributed around the country to orphanages, old age homes, hospitals and more.
If you would like to contact The BUZ Factor for bespoke services in public relations, marketing, events, training, and stakeholder management, please email bridget@thebuzfactor.co.za.
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