The City of Johannesburg has recovered nearly R100 million in just five months after launching a massive crackdown on the illegal outdoor advertising industry, which previously contributed a mere R4 million annually to municipal coffers.
The Joburg Property Company (JPC) intensified law enforcement operations in January to enforce the City’s Outdoor Advertising By-Laws. Speaking at an enforcement operation on Tuesday at the corner of Jan Smuts Avenue and Republic Road, JPC Chief Executive Officer Musah Makhunga revealed the scale of previous losses.
“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,” said Makhunga.
Funding service delivery
Makhunga emphasised that the recovered funds are already being earmarked for critical urban management tasks. He warned that the City will not scale back its efforts as long as unauthorised signage continues to “mushroom” across the metropole.
“The revenue collected through compliance will assist the City in addressing critical service delivery challenges, including infrastructure maintenance, fixing potholes, and improving urban management,” he added.
Zero tolerance for illegal structures
The latest operation targeted several unauthorised billboards along Republic Road. Tembinkosi Mvelase, a Senior Law Enforcement Officer for Development Planning, confirmed that the City took action only after the owners ignored formal notices to remove the structures.
Mvelase pointed out that many companies are intentionally bypassing the technical evaluation and fee-paying process required by the 2009 Outdoor Advertising By-Law.
“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 explained.
He further noted that the surge in enforcement is a direct response to operators who believe they can ignore municipal regulations without consequence.
“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,” Mvelase said.
The City has reiterated that these compliance inspections will continue indefinitely to ensure all advertising operators contribute fairly to the municipal revenue stream.
