New crackdown in Johannesburg hits FNB, Coca-Cola, Netflix, Absa, WeBuyCars, Checkers, Fanta, and RocoMamas
The Joburg Property Company continued its crackdown on illegal outdoor advertising, taking down billboards from FNB, Coca-Cola, Netflix, WeBuyCars, Fanta, Checkers, and RocoMamas.
On 28 July 2026, it highlighted that outdoor advertising structures must comply with applicable bylaws and planning requirements.
“Regularly verifying your lease agreement helps protect your investment and supports a safe, well-managed urban environment,” it said.
It added that companies should contact the City of Johannesburg Development Planning Department for regulatory and compliance assistance.
This warning followed its regular bylaw enforcement exercises targeting illegal outdoor advertising across Johannesburg.
Like the previous exercises of this kind, it clamped down on unauthorised outdoor advertising in contravention of municipal bylaws.
“An enforcement team was deployed to take action against illegal outdoor advertising structures and unlawful connections to municipal infrastructure,” it said.
As part of the crackdown, it took down an unauthorised FNB billboard on the N1 highway and a GWM Haval H6 billboard along Malibongwe Drive.
In similar crackdowns over the last few months, the Joburg Property Company took down billboards from Coca-Cola, Netflix, Fanta, and Rocomamas.
“You can’t build a brand on a foundation of non-compliance,” the Joburg Property Company said in a statement.
It said that the city remains committed to enforcing municipal regulations to protect public infrastructure and maintain a safe environment for all Johannesburg residents.
The Joburg Property Company explained that businesses are among the primary offenders of unauthorised billboards in the city.
“Businesses are encouraged to obtain the necessary approvals from the council before erecting any outdoor advertising structures,” it said.
Crackdown on illegal billboards in Johannesburg
The crackdown on illegal billboards in Johannesburg dates back a decade, when the city toughened its Outdoor Advertising and Billboards by-laws.
The City of Johannesburg classified illegal outdoor advertising as a serious crime, in the same category as building hijackings.
Jack Sekgobela, Manager of Outdoor Advertising in the City’s Planning Department, said that the city was losing millions of rands every year to illegal outdoor advertising.
He said the city was getting tough on offending companies, including top international brands, in a new drive to avert revenue losses.
“The outdoor advertising and billboards by-laws clearly do not allow for illegal billboards to be put up without the city’s permission,” he said.
Some companies, including many well-known brands, put up wrap advertising signs in residential areas, which is also illegal.
Initially, the enforcement was slow. However, it ramped up its illegal advertising crackdown last year, which proved successful.
The City of Johannesburg, through the Joburg Property Company (JPC), collected R100 million in revenue in a few months after intensifying its crackdown.
JPC CEO Musah Makhunga said the outdoor advertising industry had contributed only about R4 million annually to the city before the intervention.
“When we started this operation, many media owners came forward to engage with the city and enter into formal agreements,” he said.
“We started from a base of about R4 million per annum and are now approaching R100 million in revenue.”
This, he said, demonstrated significant revenue leakage within the outdoor advertising portfolio across the city.
“This is money that rightfully belongs to the City of Johannesburg to support service delivery,” said Makhunga.
He said that this was only the start, promising to intensify enforcement operations across Johannesburg.
“We will continue pushing hard because there are still areas where illegal outdoor advertising is mushrooming,” he said.
“The revenue collected will help to address critical service delivery challenges, including infrastructure maintenance and fixing potholes.”
The images below, supplied by the Joburg Property Company, show the crackdown on billboards from well-known brands.
Checkers billboard taken down
FNB billboard taken down
Absa billboard taken down
eTV billboard taken down
GWM billboard taken down
Coca-Cola billboard taken down
Netflix billboard taken down
WeBuyCars billboard taken down
Fanta billboard taken down
RocoMamas billboard taken down
General billboard crackdown
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