Bongiwe Kunene

Managing Director, Banking Association South Africa

Bongiwe Kunene is Managing Director of Banking Association South Africa, in the role since April 2020.

The Banking Association South Africa (BASA) is the industry body for the country's registered banks and publishes an annual banking transformation report. In February 2025 Kunene briefed Parliament's finance and trade committees on that report.

In the job

  1. Kunene took over as managing director from Cas Coovadia, who retired. Source

  2. Kunene called accusations of sabotage and treason made against the banks by minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni a sour note in relations with government. Source

  3. Kunene told a joint meeting of Parliament's finance and trade committees that banks exceeded black ownership and economic interest targets in 2023, based on BASA's transformation report. Source

Career before

  1. Group head for the public sector, Personal and Business Banking, Standard Bank
  2. World Bank executive director representing South Africa, Nigeria and Angola
  3. Head of department, Gauteng Department of Finance and Economic Affairs
  4. 1994-1998National Treasury team on fiscal and economic frameworks

Education

Master of Science in Development Economics, University of London

Sources

  1. banking.org.za
  2. banking.org.za
  3. iol.co.za
  4. sundaytimes.timeslive.co.za
  5. engineeringnews.co.za

Facts last checked 3 November 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.

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