The City of Johannesburg has intensified its crackdown on illegal billboards, affecting top companies such as Absa, FNB, Disney, KFC, McDonald’s, Engen, Coca-Cola, and Dis-Chem.
The initiative, branded “No to illegal outdoor advertising”, is part of a broader bylaw enforcement drive aimed at removing unauthorised advertising structures, cutting off illegal electricity connections, and improving compliance across the city.
Johannesburg city manager Floyd Brink said the city has adopted a far tougher approach after years of unsuccessful attempts to curb illegal outdoor advertising through the courts.
“We are taking a firm stand against illegal outdoor advertising in a bylaw enforcement operation to remove unauthorised billboards and restore the rule of law,” Brink said.
The city first launched its campaign against illegal billboards around a decade ago, pursuing civil claims and laying criminal charges against offenders, including major corporations and media owners.
However, officials said that the strategy failed to stop companies from erecting advertising structures without the necessary approvals. In December 2025, the city shifted tactics.
Working alongside the Joburg Property Company (JPC), City Power and the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD), officials began dismantling unauthorised billboard structures instead of relying primarily on legal action.
The city also started publishing photographs and videos of offending billboards on social media, effectively naming and shaming the brands displayed on them. Since the intensified campaign began, the city has removed 41 illegal billboards.
JPC chief executive Musah Makhunga said the tougher enforcement strategy is producing encouraging results, with many media owners now approaching the city voluntarily.
“We have met with several media owners who have come forward to declare their structures and begin settling outstanding payments owed to the city,” he said.
“They are also committing to comply with municipal by-laws when erecting outdoor advertising billboards.”
He added that enforcement would continue. The operation involves multiple city entities, including Development Planning, City Power, the JPC, the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) and the JMPD.
Big brands hit
The city has also appealed to media owners and advertising agencies not to support companies operating without the required approvals.
Property owners are similarly being encouraged to consult Development Planning before allowing outdoor advertising structures to be erected on their land.
JPC spokesperson Lucky Sindane stressed that the rules apply regardless of whether a billboard is located on public or private property.
“Property owners and interested parties must apply for the necessary permissions and rights before erecting any advertising structures,” he said.
“This applies equally to both City-owned and privately-owned land. No structure may be erected, nor advertising conducted, without the required consent.”
The city warned that private agreements between property owners and advertising companies may appear financially attractive but remain unlawful if the required municipal approvals have not been obtained.
An increasingly visible feature of the campaign has been its public exposure of non-compliant billboards.
Although it is unclear whether the companies featured in this crackdown are aware that their billboards broke the law, they bear the brunt of the bad publicity.
These companies may use an agency which, in turn, outsources outdoor advertising to a specialist. However, this does not help the brands.
Recent social media posts by the JPC have highlighted billboards carrying advertisements for Geely, GWM’s Tank vehicle range and WeBuyCars that were erected on non-compliant structures.
The campaign has also previously featured brands including Netflix, MTN, Absa, FNB, Disney, KFC, McDonald’s, Jeep, Dis-Chem, Engen and Coca-Cola.
Brink urged companies to protect their reputations by ensuring any billboard carrying their branding has received the necessary municipal approvals.
The JPC has echoed that message and said, “whether it’s a small business, major brand or national broadcaster, compliance is not optional.”
BusinessTech
