TekJuice, a tech talent management company, has officially launched in Uganda. Much as it has been operational over a couple of months, the launch took place at the recently concluded Uganda Dev Summit, an event that brought together tech enthusiasts, professionals, and industry leaders to discuss the future of technology in Uganda.
TekJuice’s journey began in the UK, where it was initially established to support legal firms with software solutions. The company’s CEO, Jason Hathaway, shared the story of how TekJuice transitioned from a UK-based operation to a Ugandan enterprise.
“TechJuice started life in the UK, established to support the legal firms I have there and provide them with software solutions. In doing so, we hired Ugandan talent, and it was that talent and the beauty of this country, which I’ve completely fallen in love with, that made me move everything here,” Hathaway explained.
Hathaway’s relocation to Uganda in April marked the beginning of TekJuice’s new chapter. “I came out here on the 24th of April, landed in Kampala, and the last three months have been the most hectic and exciting months I can possibly imagine. We’ve opened an office, recruited staff—about 20 to 25 people—and we’ve approached everything with total confidence,” he added.
A customer-centric approach
One of the unique aspects of TekJuice is its customer-centric approach to technology. Hathaway emphasized that the company’s focus is on building technology that creates an emotional connection with the customer.
“The best technology has an emotional connection with the customer and has the right journey with the customer. That’s why marketing leads [to] it. We ask the customer, ‘How can we build something that helps you connect with your customer, enhance your sales, and keep your customer?’ It’s about understanding the relationship between technology and the user,” Hathaway stated.
Bridging the gap between Technology and Marketing
Isaac Odongo, Deputy CEO of TekJuice, elaborated on the company’s strategy to integrate technology with marketing talent placement.
“Much as we are a technology company, we decided to focus on technology marketing talent placement. If you’re a technology business owner needing a website, we can build that for you. But we also realize that most people don’t understand the digital assets they have. That’s where we bring in talent to show you what plugins you need, how to rank on Google, and how to use tools like chatbots to get and run business,” Odongo explained.
Odongo highlighted the importance of marketing in driving business growth. “As a business, you need to make sales, and that’s where the marketing person comes in. We take risks that most companies are not willing to take, but we have a great team—90% of our staff are ladies, which has given us an opportunity to innovate and create together,” he said.
Empowering Ugandan youth
Addressing the issue of youth unemployment in Uganda, Odongo pointed out that it is partly a mindset issue.
“We have events like the Uganda Dev Summit, and the turnout is great. But imagine if three times that number attended. People need to take opportunities to meet mentors and employers. Instead of spending money on betting or buying shoes, they should invest in environments that foster growth,” he stated.
TekJuice aims to transform the Ugandan economy by providing training and employment opportunities for tech talent.
“We want to match talents with training. It’s not enough to have a database of developers; we need to provide them with employment and opportunities to learn. We want to add value to their skill sets and show them how to market their skills,” Odongo added.
Looking ahead
TekJuice’s launch in Uganda marks a significant milestone in the country’s tech industry. The company’s commitment to customer-centric technology, integration of marketing and tech talent, and focus on empowering the youth positions it as a key player in driving innovation and growth in Uganda.
