A new structure, rising along Witkoppen Road near uMhlanga Road in Paulshof, has raised fresh alarm among local leaders, who say illegal outdoor advertising in Fourways is spiralling out of control.

Ward 93 councillor Vino Reddy recently visited the site where contractors are constructing a large pylon believed to be intended for a new billboard.

Reddy says he has alerted both Region A officials and the Gauteng provincial government, yet building appears to be continuing regardless.

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“Behind me is the construction of a pylon to host a new billboard on Witkoppen Road. I have notified both Region A and Gauteng province of the intended construction, but it seems the contractors are going ahead nonetheless.”

According to Reddy, provincial officials confirmed that no new billboard approvals have been issued for major roads in the province, which would make the ongoing construction unlawful. “I’m calling on both JMPD and the province to stop the construction of what is deemed an illegal structure.”

Reddy’s latest intervention comes just months after the City of Johannesburg acknowledged to Fourways Review that it is struggling to enforce its outdoor advertising by-laws, particularly in the Fourways, Lonehill, and Paulshof areas, where councillors and residents have documented a surge in illegal structures.

In August, when Fourways Review asked Nthatisi Modingoane, from the city, why large concrete bases and steel bolts were appearing overnight along roads like Witkoppen without permit notices, Modingoane pointed to severe capacity constraints.

He said outdoor advertising is monitored through daily surveillance by its law enforcement officers, and the JMPD’s dedicated outdoor advertising unit, but admitted this tiny team is overwhelmed.

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Modingoane confirmed that, across the entire metro of more than five million residents, only two officials are currently assigned to enforce outdoor advertising by-laws. “This is why the city is challenged in this area.”

When asked specifically how many billboards on Witkoppen Road are legally approved, Modingoane said the number changes constantly due to the temporary nature of billboard permits, the expiry of approvals, and the possibility of illegal signs later becoming regularised.

The city also acknowledged that it has not yet completed a long-awaited outdoor advertising audit, meant to map the true extent of illegal signage across Johannesburg.

Reddy said the latest construction is yet another example of how easily unapproved structures can go up while the city struggles to respond in time. He wants immediate intervention from authorities before the structure is completed, warning that once a billboard is erected, enforcement becomes even more difficult.

The city has not yet issued new comments in response to the latest structure.

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