Yusuf (Jowa) Abrahams

YUSUF (JOWA) ABRAHAMS

Jowa was born in Claremont on 1st November 1942 and his family was moved out of the Claremont area in 1965 under the Group Areas Act. Growing up in the vicinity of Newlands cricket and rugby grounds, he was always passionate about both codes and is still involved in the rugby administration.

He matriculated at Livingstone High, Claremont, in 1960 and then qualified as a teacher at the old Hewat Teachers' College in 1962. He started his teaching career in 1963 and was involved in education until his retirement in 2007 as Director of Marketing and Communication at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT).

In 1969, he qualified as a Physical Education teacher with sport coaching as one of his majors. He later graduated with a B.A. (UWC) and a B.Ed (U.C.T.) as well as numerous other short courses. He was the first rugby convener in the Bonteheuwel area in 1964 and then taught at Athlone High and later became principal at Lavender Hill High.

He joined the Mobil/Energos Foundation as Education Manager, headed their community outreach programmes and then moved to the Peninsula Technikon / CPUT.   

Throughout his teaching career, he was involved in the coaching and administration of sport at the Western Province and the South African Senior Schools. Jowa represented Western Province schools in 1962, was player /captain and coach of the City and Suburban Union and represented the South African Rugby Union side in 1967/68. 

He has been a player, coach and administrator at the Primrose Rugby Club since 1963 and has been the president for the past 10 years. He serves on the Western Province Rugby Union Executive Committee. Together with Morne du Plessis, he negotiated South Africa’s participation in the annual World Rugby Classics (WRC) and in 1994 managed the first non-racial South African Classic side to Bermuda.

He has served as a trustee of the Chris Burger/Petro Jackson Fund since 1989.

He has served as a trustee on many NGOs as well as the Claremont Youth Forum in the sixties under the leadership of the late Imam Haron.

Jowa is married to Cass, an internationally renowned South African chef and they have three children.  He and his wife are involved on the tourism industry, Jowa as a guide and Cass as a presenter of South African/Cape Malay cuisine to international groups.