Joburg recovers nearly R100m after crackdown on illegal billboards

City of Joburg nets nearly R100 million after crackdown on illegal outdoor advertising

The City of Johannesburg has recovered nearly R100 million in five months after stepping up enforcement against illegal outdoor advertising that had been generating about R4 million a year in municipal revenue, the Joburg Property Company (JPC) said.

Where and when

The intensified enforcement began in January, the JPC said. The recovery figures were disclosed during an enforcement operation held at the corner of Jan Smuts Avenue and Republic Road.

How the recovery unfolded

JPC Chief Executive Officer Musah Makhunga described the scale of the shortfall the City faced before the raid. He said many media owners engaged with the City and entered formal agreements after the operations began.

“When we started this operation in January, many media owners came forward to engage with the City and enter into formal agreements. We started from a base of about R4 million per annum, and we are now reaching close to R100 million. This demonstrates that there was significant revenue leakage within the outdoor advertising portfolio, money that rightfully belongs to the City to support service delivery,”

Funds to support urban management

Makhunga said the recovered funds are being earmarked for critical urban management tasks. He named specific priorities the revenue will assist with, including infrastructure maintenance, fixing potholes, and improving urban management.

Ongoing enforcement and the law

The latest operation targeted several unauthorised billboards along Republic Road. Tembinkosi Mvelase, a Senior Law Enforcement Officer for Development Planning, confirmed that action was taken after owners ignored formal notices to remove the structures.

“The advertising structures are not approved by the City of Johannesburg. There is a detailed approval process that includes notifying the City, submitting applications, paying the required fees, and undergoing technical evaluations before any sign can be erected,”

Mvelase also pointed to operators who bypass the technical evaluation and fee-paying processes required by the 2009 Outdoor Advertising By-Law, saying the surge in enforcement responds to those who ignore municipal regulations.

“The Outdoor Advertising By-Law of 2009 is clear. Companies must not erect signage before obtaining approval from the City. Unfortunately, many operators ignore the law, which is why these enforcement operations are necessary,”

What comes next

The City has said these compliance inspections will continue indefinitely to ensure advertising operators contribute to the municipal revenue stream.

Why it matters

City officials framed the crackdown as both a revenue-recovery exercise and a public-safety and urban-management measure, stressing the link between formal compliance and funding for essential municipal work.