Less clutter as Joburg plans to reduce outdoor ads
The City of Johannesburg will reduce the amount of advertising on street poles and billboards to decrease the clutter seen along roads and outdoor spaces.
The City is battling a large amount of illegal advertising and is now trying a different approach by removing all advertisement providers and re-introducing a more regulated outdoor advertising system.
According to the city, roughly 70% of the current outdoor billboards are illegal.
Strategic advisor to the MMC in the Department of Economic Development, Andrew Stewart, says the situation is clearly out of control.
"Our plan is to decrease the clutter and regularise outdoor advertising once again because it has been allowed to get completely out of control. We want to bring down the amount of outdoor advertising across the board."
The city has already terminated its agreement with advertising provider Adreach and has instructed the company to remove all street pole advertising.
Stewart believes the city's new approach will actually increase advertising income.
"Reducing the amount of advertising, the individual advertisement gain in value in a result of that. Therefore the commission we will get will be higher."
According to Stewart, motorists will have to wait at least another year before they can expect clutter-free roads.