UKZN Alumnus Partners with PSL and Carling Black Label to Champion Change

Mr Sabelo Gumede, founder and CEO of Cloud Therapist, an online therapy platform, has partnered with the Premier Soccer League (PSL) and Carling Black Label to launch the #NoExcuse campaign.

Established in 2023, the campaign aims to combat gender-based violence (GBV) beyond the annual 16 Days of Activism.

The campaign involves various programmes and enlists soccer icons like Benny McCarthy, Thulani Hlatshwayo, and Tshegofatso Mabasa as ambassadors.

Gumede, a UKZN alumnus with a Master’s in Industrial Psychology, said he was initially brought into the campaign to develop a mental health support booklet that championed for players to speak against the scourge of GBV and ‘‘become champions on and off the pitch’’.

Following the live launch of the #NoExcuse programme on 18 February on SABC 2, Cloud Therapist was named the official mental health provider for the PSL, tasked with rolling out counselling and training interventions focused on GBV to all of the teams.

‘Through this programme, we aim to harness the power and influence of players, positioning them as ambassadors of change. We want to challenge and transform the stereotypical perception of soccer players as womanisers and instead promote a positive message that condemns gender-based violence while fostering their development into holistic individuals,’ Gumede said.

Cloud Therapist made its debut in the sporting scene in 2022, when it was onboarded by AmaZulu FC as the teams’ primary psychological support service.

It provides mental health screenings and addresses issues of anxiety, depression, substance abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder and GBV.

Since then, AmaZulu, with support from Cloud Therapist, has implemented compulsory psychological assessments for all prospective signings.

‘I’m proud to be a co-author of the PSL mental health booklet and even more thrilled to have founded the mental health support programme that will be rolled out – because no one has done it before,’ said Gumede.

‘Currently, I’m developing psychological toolkits for high performance, as we all know that excelling at the highest level requires strong mental preparedness.’

Cloud Therapist, a subsidiary of Uphembele Consulting Group, was founded in 2019 to provide mental health support.

However, with the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic and the increased demand for such services, the company recognised the need to expand its offerings and introduced a telepsychology platform.

Gumede said Uphembele Consulting Group was established in 2014 at the Albert Luthuli Residence – popular known as Anglo – where he started his medical legal assessments practice.

‘As UKZN alumni, we take pride in being part of an Institution that has shaped us on a global stage – where businesses are founded, and lifelong friendships are made. We are grateful to be part of this vibrant community and appreciate the incredible work being done by the Alumni and Foundation divisions, respectfully.’

Gumede encouraged current students enrolled at the Institution to work hard and to use the knowledge gained to plough back to their communities and become a beacon of hope for others.

He emphasised that the #NoExcuse campaign aims to achieve tangible outcomes through behavioural change to curb the plight of gender-based violence across South Africa.

Gumede said it was dream come true to meet his soccer idol Benny McCarthy during the launch.

‘I was blown away by his humility and character, but even more astounded to be a part of something that has attracted such big names in the industry.’

With dreams of developing Cloud Therapist as an international mental health platform for all athletes, Gumede said his next step was providing the service of mental health screenings to all the national teams before branching out to the rest of the continent.

Hailing from uMhlabuyalingana, in northern KwaZulu-Natal in a village called KwasiKhemelele Gumede acknowledged his teacher from Nodineka High School, Mrs Sizakele Zungu who made him apply for a degree in Psychology at UKZN.

‘To be honest I had no idea what that degree entailed,’ Gumede said. ‘But I am proof that coming from a disadvantaged background should never be a hinderance to what you can achieve.’

His words of encouragement for others were, ‘Believe in something and have the conviction that it will happen. The journey is long and the trials will come but you must have an unshakeable belief that anything is possible.’

Words: Hlengiwe Khwela

Photographs: Sethu Dlamini and Supplied