Mr. Cas Coovadia - Member of the Ombudsman for Banking Services Board

Cas is the Managing Director of The Banking Association South Africa.

Cas has played a pivotal role in the negotiations leading to the signing of the Financial Sector Charter, and continues to have a critical function in the implementation of agreements reached in the Charter. His work in the financial environment in the SADC region has been significant. From the conceptualisation and establishment of the Community Bank in South Africa, Cas is passionate about the area of access to financial services to the broad spectrum of people in South Africa.

Cas's efforts in the financial services industry are supported by a sturdy foundation of academic qualifications. These include a B.Com from the University College - Durban. He completed the Housing Finance Course with the Wharton Real Estate Centre at the University of Pennsylvania. He also completed the Effective Directors Programme with the Kagiso School of Leadership. He has also contributed to numerous articles and publications on housing finance, civil society, local government and the role of civic organisations in governance.

He served articles for training as a chartered accountant and was part of an accounting practice for a number of years. Cas has significant experience in housing finance, SMME support, local government restructuring, dynamics of organised business and the financial environment as a whole. 

He serves in committees and boards of a variety of associations and organisations. These include: 

• Chairman of the Jo'burg Civic Theatre
• Vice-Chairman of the Trust for Urban Housing Finance
• Chairman of the National Business Initiative
• First Deputy Chairman of the African Union for Housing Finance
• Board Member of the Centre for Development and Enterprise
• Member of the Management Committee & Chairman of the Finance Committee of the Business Unity South Africa
• Trustee of the FinMark Trust
• Board Member of the Financial Markets Advisory Board
• Board Member of the Financial Sector Contingency Forum
• President of the International Union for Housing Finance
• Chairman of the Metier Lereko Advisory Board
• Board Member of the International Banking Federation 

In the dawn of the 1980s Cas was involved in anti-apartheid politics. Being active in the civic movement saw Cas being detained for four periods at Modderbee Prison in Benoni, Pretoria Central Prison, John Vorster Square and Diepkloof Prison. His longest period of detention was seven months. 

Cas was the leading force in the establishment of the White Blocks Residents' Association in Laudium during 1980; he was very active in the civic movement. This was the first organised civic body in the country and mobilised low-income people around their day-to-day issues.

Cas subsequently was instrumental in the formation of the Civic Association of Johannesburg, which was the trailblazer in negotiations around the restructuring of local government in the early 1990s. The Civic Association of Johannesburg, which included the Soweto Civic Association, Alexandra Civic Organisation, Lenasia Civic Association and others, was the central party from the Mass Democratic Movement in negotiations around the restructuring of the Johannesburg Metropolitan Council.

Cas was General Secretary of the Civic Association of Johannesburg and led the negotiations. He was also instrumental in the formation of the South African National Civic Organisation and was its Vice President. Cas played a critical role in the United Democratic Front (UDF) and was a leading member of its Johannesburg Area Committee. He also played a critical role in the defiance campaign during the mid-1980s.

Cas is the father of two, Bilal and Nabeelah and is married to Sabera Bobat.