HOST:

Graham Oosthuizen

DETAILS OF PROGRAMME:

Graham Oosthuizen aka the G-Factor was born in Cape Town South Africa.
I grew up on the sandy plains of the Cape Flats, after my family was evicted from District Six, which was declared a white area, by the apartheid government at the time. Many families were uprooted in this terrible manner, and relocated to townships specifically built for evicted people. These townships were far from the city, as compared to District Six, and bred a mix of poverty, crime, and suffering of various degrees. Despite this, the townships also bred a fantastic range of talented people, especially in the performing and contemporary arts sector. Growing up in an area of poverty and suffering, made me determined to do whatever I could to make life better for others less fortunate than I was. 
My love for music, and the arts always inspired me, and kept me motivated (as it still does) in times of feeling de-motivated or demoralised. I started out as a mobile DJ in my late teens, and teamed up with some school friends who shared my passion for music. We are still in touch today, after sharing many great moments together doing various gigs all over Cape Town as DJ’s and karaoke jocks. Music is the international language. 
I met my wife, Charmaine, who shared my passion for events, and working in communities, and together we established our events management business in Cape Town, which included catering, DJ and live music services, and general event management for social and corporate clients. We also owned and operated two pub/restaurants, and operated the restaurant at the studios of the South African Broadcasting Corporation. 
Our events ranged from weddings to conferences, to our most memorable function for Government on Robben Island, when then President, Bill Clinton met Nelson Mandela on an official visit to the Island. Meeting Nelson Mandela on a number of occasions makes both Charmaine and I feel blessed to have been in his presence. He is hugely responsible for setting us free as a nation, and making it possible for us to vote in our own country after more than forty years, and to enjoy the freedom of democracy. 
Charmaine and I visited New Zealand in 1999 and saw an opportunity to establish an International platform for our artists to come and showcase their talents to a new market. We produced the Taste of Africa annual festival for five years in Auckland. The event included live music, food and arts and craft stalls, and also fun rides for the kids. The beer and wine garden was a hit, and stallholders sold huge amounts of the famous “Boerewors” South African style sausages. This event attracted in excess of thirty thousand people for the day.
We also produced the Out of Africa festival to celebrate South Africa’s tenth year of democracy, in Auckland. This event attracted in excess of 50 000 (fifty thousand) visitors for the day. We also produced and presented our own radio show on Planet fm in Auckland, called the G-Factor.
We visited Melbourne in 2005, and simply loved the city. We relocated here from Auckland, and are now ready to produce our first Australian “Out of Africa” festival in 2010. Radio has always formed part of our events, and we are proud and honoured to be able to present the G-Factor on Casey Radio. 
We look forward to being of service to the community, and to producing events that will unite people, and make us all more understanding of cultural differences, and to embrace and appreciate those differences, that makes Australia the wonderful country it is.
Regards and blessings, Graham AKA the G-Factor