In an article published by the Fourways Review on 11 December 2025, titled “Six months later, City of Johannesburg fails to deliver promised outdoor advertising audit”, reference is made to the proliferation of illegal outdoor advertising signs across the City.
The article further suggests that the City has not taken meaningful action to address these violations. The City of Johannesburg wishes to place on record that this assertion is incorrect. The City continues to escalate its enforcement efforts in line with the City of Johannesburg Outdoor Advertising Bylaw.
In the Fourways area specifically, the City has already issued compliance and removal notices to all identified illegal signs, and formal legal processes to effect enforcement are currently underway.
In addition, the Department of Development Planning is working in close collaboration with the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) and the Johannesburg Property Company (JPC) to ensure that adequate operational capacity and resources are deployed to confront this challenge decisively. This includes coordinated enforcement operations, joint inspections, and strengthened follow-through on non-compliance cases.
The City remains gravely concerned about the increasing disregard for regulatory requirements and the unlawful erection of outdoor advertising infrastructure on both private and public land. In response to numerous complaints received from Ward Councillors, residents, and other affected stakeholders, the Development Planning Department has intensified site inspections across all regions of the City.
These inspections focus on identifying signage erected without the requisite Council approval, as required in terms of the Outdoor Advertising Bylaw. Where unlawful signs are detected, the City will not hesitate to exercise its full legal mandate, including the physical removal of such signs and the recovery of costs incurred.
Furthermore, the City will invoke all enforcement mechanisms available to it, including the imposition of rates penalties on any property owner found to have permitted illegal outdoor advertising on their premises. These penalties form part of a broader enforcement strategy aimed at curbing non-compliance and ensuring that property owners adhere to their legal obligations.
The City wishes to reiterate unequivocally that unlawful outdoor advertising will be met with the full force of the law. The ongoing proliferation of illegal signs undermines urban management objectives, poses risks to public safety, and detracts from the visual integrity of Johannesburg’s built environment. The City remains fully committed to restoring compliance, enhancing accountability, and protecting the aesthetic and economic value of Johannesburg’s urban landscape.
