City of Johannesburg achieved 0% on three core performance targets
The City of Johannesburg failed to meet most of its performance targets for the 2025 financial year, with particularly low achievement rates in key strategic areas.
This was one of the revelations in the 2025 Audit Report for the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality.
The municipality selected two primary strategic priorities for auditing, both of which showed poor results:
- Sustainable Service Delivery: Only 40% of planned targets were achieved.
- Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment: Only 36% of planned targets were achieved.
Under the Sustainable Service Delivery priority, the city missed targets for basic household needs and public transport.
Only 174 households in informal settlements were provided with basic water access, against a target of 1,250
83,325 indigent households in Johannesburg accessed free basic services, falling short of the 100,000 target.
The city also failed to keep water and electricity losses within set limits. Water losses reached 207,136,836 kl, and electricity losses hit 29.8%.
Daily Rea Vaya trips averaged 19,972 against a target of 42,500, and Metrobus trips averaged 22,188 against a target of 26,000.
Under Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment, several critical projects saw minimal or no progress:
Only 431 mixed-housing units were constructed in the City of Johannesburg out of a planned 2,010.
The city achieved 0% of its targets for developing serviced sites, rehabilitating hostels, and rehabilitating flats.
Only 7.98 km of gravel roads were upgraded against a target of 12.5 km, and only half of the planned 1.5 km of stormwater drains were converted to underground systems.
To add fuel to the fire, the Auditor-General raised serious concerns about the accuracy of the performance data provided by the city.
It said that for certain indicators, such as Rea Vaya and Metrobus passenger trips, the auditor could not even determine if the reported achievements were correct.
This was because the City of Johannesburg did not provide adequate supporting evidence for these claims.
The Auditor-General also identified preventable material misstatements in the performance report for both strategic priorities.
City of Johannesburg missed targets
| Key service delivery indicator not achieved | Planned target | Reported achievement | Missed By |
| Number of serviced sites developed | 600 | 0 | 100% |
| Number of hostels rehabilitated | 4 | 0 | 100% |
| Number of flats rehabilitated | 10 | 0 | 100% |
| Number of additional households provided access to basic water at minimum LoS 1 in informal settlements | 1 250 | 174 | 86% |
| Number of mixed housing units constructed | 2 010 | 431 | 79% |
| Average number of Rea Vaya passenger trips per working day | 42 500 | 19 972 | 53% |
| Number of kilometres of open storm water drains converted to underground systems | 1.5 km | 0.75 km | 50% |
| Number of new households in informal settlements provided with electricity | 2 000 | 1 059 | 47% |
| Number of kilometres of gravel roads upgraded and surfaced | 12.5 km | 7.98 km | 36% |
| Number of indigent households accessing free basic services | 100 000 | 83 325 | 17% |
| Average number of Metrobus passenger trips per working day | 26 000 | 22 188 | 15% |
| Total water losses | 190 338 500 kl | 207 136 836 kl | 9% |
| Percentage of total electricity losses (EE4.4) | 28.80% | 29.80% | 4% |
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