City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality is one of South Africa’s eight metropolitan municipalities, governing 1 643 square kilometres of Gauteng with no district municipality above it.
The essentials
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| MDB code | JHB |
| Province | Gauteng |
| Population | 4 803 262 |
| Households | 1 841 917 |
| Area | 1 643 km2 |
| People per km2 | 2 923.5 |
| Council seats | 270 |
| Parties in council | 18 |
| Governing party | ANC/EFF/PA Coalition |
| Executive mayor | Dada Morero |
Money
In its most recent audited year City of Johannesburg reported R76.9 billion in operating revenue against R79.5 billion in expenditure, an operating deficit of R2.6 billion. Its audit outcome was recorded as qualified audit.
| Measure | Value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Financial health grade | E | Distressed |
| Score out of 100 | 38.9 | Ranked 4 of 8 metros |
| Operating margin | -3.4% | Operating costs exceeded revenue |
| Current ratio | 0.65:1 | Short-term bills exceed short-term assets |
| Months of cash | 1.5 | At least a month of operating cover |
| Irregular spending | 6.0% | Share of expenditure flagged by the Auditor-General |
Household services
| Service | City of Johannesburg | All 8 metros average |
|---|---|---|
| Piped water inside dwelling | 77.1% | 71.6% |
| Flush toilet connected to sewerage | 93.0% | 85.6% |
| Electricity for lighting | 94.1% | 95.1% |
| Weekly refuse removal | 90.5% | 81.3% |
How it compares with the other metros
City of Johannesburg ranks 4 of the eight metropolitan municipalities on financial health. Ranked against all 257 municipalities in the country, it sits in the lowest band.
| Metro | Grade | Score | Operating margin | Months of cash |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Town | B | 81.1 | 4.6% | 3.6 |
| eThekwini | C | 56.5 | -4.7% | 4.9 |
| Nelson Mandela Bay | D | 43.2 | -9.0% | 2.7 |
| City of Johannesburg | E | 38.9 | -3.4% | 1.5 |
| City of Ekurhuleni | E | 38.7 | -4.8% | -3.4 |
| Buffalo City | E | 38.6 | -18.1% | 5.2 |
| Mangaung | E | 34.8 | -10.8% | 9.7 |
| City of Tshwane | E | 27.8 | 2.3% | -4.8 |
What the figures suggest
City of Johannesburg spent more on day-to-day operations than it collected, an operating deficit of R2.6 billion. A deficit has to be funded from somewhere, usually by delaying payments to creditors or drawing down cash. Cash cover sits between one and three months, within but not far above the range Treasury regards as adequate. Short-term obligations exceed short-term assets, which is a common early indicator of cash-flow strain.
Who runs it
The council has 270 seats across 18 parties, and is governed by ANC/EFF/PA Coalition. The executive mayor is Dada Morero of the ANC. All of these positions are contested at the local government elections on 4 November 2026.
In context
City of Johannesburg is one of 11 municipalities in Gauteng. See the full City of Johannesburg profile for contact details, the complete council, five years of audited figures and published documents, or put it beside another municipality in the comparison tool.
Common questions
How many people live in City of Johannesburg?
Census 2022 recorded 4 803 262 residents across 1 643 square kilometres, which works out to 2 923.5 people per square kilometre.
What is City of Johannesburg’s annual budget?
It reported R79.5 billion in operating expenditure and R76.9 billion in operating revenue in its most recent audited year.
Who is the mayor of City of Johannesburg?
Dada Morero of the ANC. The full council and senior management are listed on the City of Johannesburg profile, which is updated as appointments change.
Figures on this page come from National Treasury, Statistics South Africa and the Auditor-General, as set out in the sources and methodology. Read the methodology