The City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality is a Category A municipality that manages the local governance of the Johannesburg region of the Gauteng Province of South Africa.
Overview
| Type of municipality: | Metropolitan (Category A) |
| Province: | Gauteng |
| Municipal code: | JHB |
| Seat: | Johannesburg |
| Wards: | 270 |
| Total area: | 1,645 km² (635 square miles) |
| Population: | 4,803,262 (in 2022) |
| Controlling party: | ANC/EFF/PA Coalition |
| Mayor: | Dada Morero (ANC) |
About
The City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality is geographically situated in the central region of Gauteng Province and stretches from Orange Farm in the south to Midrand in the north and from Roodepoort in the west to Modderfontein in the east.
The City contains two big urban centres, Johannesburg and Midrand, and nine smaller urban centres, namely Roodepoort, Diepsloot, Killarney, Melrose Arch, Randburg, Rosebank, Sandton, Soweto, and Sunninghill.
The City of Johannesburg is one of eight Metropolitan Municipalities in South Africa, the others are; the Cities of Ekurhuleni and Tshwane in Gauteng, the City of Cape Town in the Western Cape, Mangaung in the Free State, Buffalo City and Nelson Mandela Bay in the Eastern Cape, and eThekwini in KwaZulu-Natal.
The City of Johannesburg covers an area of 1,645 km² (635 square miles), making it South Africa’s smallest metropolitan municipality in terms of area covered. It is however the country’s largest metropolitan municipality in terms of population and economy.
The administrative headquarters/seat of the City is in Johannesburg.
The City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality is bordered by:
- The City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality to the north
- The City of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality to the east
- Midvaal and Emfuleni Local Municipalities to the south which form part of Sedibeng District Municipality
- Mogale City and Rand West City Local Municipalities to the west which form part of the West Rand District Municipality
The City of Johannesburg is a divided metropolitan municipality as the poor mostly live in the southern suburbs or on the peripheries (borders) of the far north, while the middle and upper classes mostly live in the central and northern suburbs.
Most young people in the City of Johannesburg do not have jobs and unemployment keeps increasing every day.
Approximately 20% of the city’s population lives in total poverty in informal settlements that lack basic services such as tap water, electricity, sanitation, waste collection, proper roads, street lighting, policing, or any other kind of direct municipal service.
The City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality is home to South Africa’s oldest township, Alexandra. It is also home to Soweto, the largest township in Southern Africa, which was formed as labour reservoir for the Gold Reef.
The township of Soweto is the place where the Freedom Charter (an aspirational guiding document that inspired South Africa’s liberation struggle and Constitution) was adopted on Sunday 26 June 1955, in the suburb of Kliptown.
The City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality is Africa’s most advanced commercial city and the engine room of the South African and regional economy.
The Municipality also holds the most wealth on the African Continent, it is the financial capital for the continent hosting the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, the largest stock exchange on the continent, and the 16th biggest in the world.
The City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality generates approximately 16% of South Africa’s wealth and employs approximately 12% of the national workforce. More than 70% of South African companies have their headquarters within the Metropolitan Municipality.
The City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality area has a well-developed highway and rail system that carries thousands of commuters every day.
The major north-south route, N1, becomes M1 when it reaches the metropolitan area, while N1 becomes part of an urban highway (the Eastern and Western Bypass) ringing the city. Also leading north out of the city, R28 joins N1 leading to Pretoria and beyond.
Several highways radiate outward from Johannesburg to the east, south, and west, including N12 and N17 (east), N3, R26, N1, and R29 (both leading to Soweto from the south), and N14 to the west.
Regions
To serve its residents more effectively, the City of Johannesburg has instituted a system of urban management that operates at a regional scale.
The City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality is divided up into seven regions listed below.
- Region A: Diepsloot, Midrand, and Ivory Park
- Region B: Northcliff and parts of Sandton, Randburg and Rosebank
- Region C: Roodepoort and parts of Randburg
- Region D: Soweto, Doornkop, Diepkloof and Meadowlands
- Region E: Alexandra and parts of Sandton and Rosebank
- Region F: Inner city and Johannesburg South
- Region G: Ennerdale, Orange Farm, Lenasia, Eldorado Park and Protea
Map
Population
According to the South African National Census of 2022, the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality has a population of 4,803,262 residents, compared to 4,949,347 in 2016, and 4,434,631 in 2011.
The municipality has a population growth per annum of 0.78%.
According to the 2022 Census, 21.9% of the population is aged under 15, 73.1% is between 15 and 64, and 5% is over 65.
Racial makeup
The demographics of the City of Johannesburg indicate a large and ethnically diverse metropolitan area. As the largest city in South Africa, its population is defined by a long history of local and international migration.
According to the 2022 Census, 84.5% of the population in the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality describe themselves as Black African, 7% as White, 4.8% as Coloured, and 3.5% as Indian/Asian.
Languages
According to the 2022 Census, the first language of 23.4% of the population is isiZulu, while 20.1% speak English, 9.9% speak Sesotho, 7.7% speak Setswana, and 39.2% speak other languages.
Economy
The main economic sectors of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality are finance and business services, community services, manufacturing, and trade.
Municipal council and management
The City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality is governed by a 270-member city council.
Of the 224 council members, 112 are elected by first-past-the-post voting in 112 wards, while the remaining 112 are chosen from party lists so that the total number of party representatives is proportional to the number of votes received.
No party obtained a majority of seats on the council in the 2021 South African municipal election.
The table below shows the council makeup after the 2021 Municipal Elections.
| Controlling Party | ANC/EFF/PA Coalition |
| Composition of Council (No. of seats by political party) | – ANC: 90 – DA: 71 – ACTIONSA: 44 – EFF: 29 – PA: 9 – IFP: 7 – VF PLUS: 4 – ACDP: 3 – ALJAMA: 3 – AIC: 2 – AHC: 1 – APC: 1 – ATM: 1 – COPE: 1 – GOOD: 1 – PAC: 1 – UDM: 1 – UIM: 1 |
| Executive Mayor | Dada Morero (ANC) |
| Deputy Executive Mayor | Kenny Kunene |
| Speaker | Nobuhle Mthembu |
| Chief Whip | Sithembiso Zungu |
| Other Council Members | – Margaret Arnolds (MMC: Finance) – Kabelo Gwamanda (MMC: Community Development) – Kenny Kunene (MMC: Transport) – Mlungisi Mabaso (MMC: Human Settlements) – Ennie Makhafola (MMC: Health and Social Development) – Loyiso Masuku (MMC: Corporate and Shared Services) – Eunice Mgcina (MMC: Development Planning) – Nomoya Daphney Mnisi (MMC: Economic Development) – Jack Sekwaila (MMC: Environment and Infrastructure Services) – Mgcini Tshwaku (MMC: Public Safety) |
| Municipal Manager | Floyd Blink |
| Chief Financial Officer | Manenzhe Manenzhe |
| Senior Management | – Refik Bismilla (Head of Department: Health and Social Development) – Floyd W Brink (Chief Operations Officer) – Tiaan Ehlers (Head of Department: Environment and Infrastructure Services) – Jan Erasmus (Acting Group Strategy, Policy and Relations) – Lindiwe Hleza (Executive Director: Group Audit, Risk and Compliance) – Feroz Khan (Executive Head: Revenue and Customer Relations Management) – Kepi Madumo (Executive Director: Community Development) – Moses Metileni (Head of Department: Housing) – Tembeka Mhlekwa (Executive Director: Economic Development) – Mafoane Isaac Mogashoa (Group Head: Legal and Contracts) – Sinovuyo Mpakama (Group Head: Treasury and Financial Strategy) – Cynthia Numaio (Executive Director: Group Corporate and Shared Services) – Raj Pillay (Acting Group Head: Group Governance) – Ishwar Ramdas (Acting Head of Department: Finance) – Lisa Seftel (Executive Director: Transport) – Vicky Shuping (Group Head: Customer Relations and Urban Management) |
| Communications Officers | – Georgina Lefifi (Acting Group Head: Group Communications) – Loyiso Tunce (Deputy Director: Communications and Stakeholder Management) |
Towns/Places
Below are some towns/places in the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality.
- Alexandra
- Diepkloof
- Diepsloot
- Ennerdale
- Johannesburg
- Johannesburg South
- Lawley
- Lenasia
- Lenasia South
- Meadowlands East
- Meadowlands West
- Midrand
- Orange Farm
- Pimville
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Sandton
- Soweto
Contact details
The contact details of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality are listed in the table below.
| Postal address: | PO Box 1049, Johannesburg, 2000 |
| Physical address (Headquarters): | 158 Civic Boulevard, Metro Centre, Braamfontein, Johannesburg |
| Telephone: | 011 407 6111 |
| Fax: | 011 339 5704 |
| Website: | www.joburg.org.za |
| General queries: | 0860 562 874 |
| Ambulance, fire and JMPD: | 011 375 5911 |
| Anti-fraud hotline: | 0800 002 587 |
