Kuban Archary

Kuban Archary is the founder and CEO of Ukuthemba IT, an app-dev startup. Thanks to some help from Accenture’s Enterprise and Supplier Development programme, he is about to launch its debut app, created for and by doctors to help them store and retrieve patient data whenever, wherever. In his own words, Kuban relays his story of lack of opportunity and finding himself: “Ukuthemba was established in 2008 in Johannesburg after the shock of my third retrenchment pushed me to take the bull by the horns and go it alone.

I had a business background and had worked as a SAP consultant, so I decided to go into IT consulting for myself, teaming up on bigger projects with bigger clients. Really, I owe the fact that I survived as an entrepreneur to my family’s belief in me. That survival instinct to provide for them is what pulled me through many a low. When I finally stopped taking the retrenchment personally, I could see the opportunity ahead.

It wasn’t easy going at first. Mostly I’d be called on to help source IT resources, so the recruitment side of the business started to grow faster than the rest. I took up the opportunity - but to my detriment - as it split my focus and I neglected my skills on the IT side. But in 2016, I began working on an app with a group of doctors, and Accenture caught wind of it. They offered to help me through the ESD Programme. We’ve now completed Phase 1 of the Doctors Rooms app and are all set to go to market with a solid product that serves a real need, that of doctors and patients.

If you have a great app idea, it takes a lot of thinking, planning and testing. Someone will say it won’t work, but don’t listen to them. Do the math. Get into the technical detail. Find out what the specific industry requirements are. For example, in our case, when it comes to patient data, security and confidentiality are extremely important. I believe this app is the first of many.

I want to continue to concentrate on the medical industry because I have access to great insight through this group of doctors. Also, I want to leave a legacy and create efficiencies in healthcare.

The future is exciting. Big data is already a bit of a cliché but we have professors thinking about how we can use it to improve lives and treatment. And it’s thanks to the people like Shehnaz Ismail and Marius Dreyer, the senior management team at Accenture, for believing in us and helping us realise these ambitions. I also need to thank my mentor, Abie Lessing, who since November has helped me develop the GTM strategy, as well as provide technical input for the development process. Qualifying for the ESDP at Accenture would not have been possible if it were not for Zandile Njamela for making things happen. An enormous THANK YOU must go to her.

I can confidently say this programme has been about more than checking boxes for Accenture, and that even beyond the scope of this programme I can come back and bounce ideas off them at any time. They are personally invested in my success. This programme has been about more than checking boxes for Accenture. They are personally invested in my success.

Website: https://ukuthembait.co.za/