Billboard owners, emboldened by industry intimidation tactics and government inaction, are costing local and national authorities millions of rands in lost revenue a Daily Maverick Investigation has found.

The SA National Roads Agency (Sanral), backed by the City of Ekurhuleni, admitted that not a single billboard on the R21 freeway – stretching from Johannesburg to OR Tambo International Airport – has been lawfully installed. 

In addition, some are structurally unsound and could collapse, endangering motorists.

They can also cause dangerous conditions by obstructing road signs.

Outdoor advertisers are required to pay upfront fees – up to R400 000 – for leases at high-visibility spots, as well as 20% of their monthly earnings from the billboards to the local and national entities, a regulation that’s largely ignored.

DM notes that there is a deliberate pattern of non-compliance with companies exploiting loopholes to install boards on private property, knowing that enforcement is weak and legal battles are costly for authorities.

Monitoring efforts have been largely abandoned by road and council officials, allowing illegal installations to multiply.

Ekurhuleni councillor Jill Humphreys admitted the city had ‘given up’ on removing the illegal structures.

‘The industry takes advantage of this. There is no money, no manpower. The industry knows we can’t fight them and is taking advantage of that.’

Sanral confirmed that every billboard on the R21, including those mounted on bridges, is illegal under the Sanral Act.

The city has given advertisers 21 days to register their billboards, ending on 4 August.

Full Daily Maverick report