Why Johannesburg service delivery keeps failing, according to city manager

Frustrated Johannesburg residents demanding answers over water outages, crumbling infrastructure and lawlessness are facing a system that the city itself admits is ‘complicated’.

City of Johannesburg city manager Floyd Brink says the scale and structure of the metro are major factors behind ongoing service delivery failures.

Speaking on 702/CapeTalk, Brink said running Johannesburg is comparable to managing a vast network of departments and municipal entities responsible for essential services.

“In a city as complex and dynamic as the City of Johannesburg, it's really almost like being a chief administrative officer overseeing service delivery,” he said.

The city manager is responsible for ensuring water, electricity, refuse collection, and other services reach residents across the metro.

But Brink acknowledged that the system itself can make effective coordination difficult.

A complicated municipal structure

Johannesburg operates through 13 municipal entities and 21 internal departments, each with its own leadership and reporting structures.

These entities deliver key services but are overseen by the city administration and political leadership.

Brink said this structure contributes to the city’s operational complexity.

“The governance structure of the City of Johannesburg is quite complex,” he explained.

The executive mayor acts as the sole shareholder of the entities, while Brink and the administration work with their executives and boards to manage service delivery.

That means dozens of senior officials are involved in decision-making.

“Your executive management team within the City of Johannesburg is not less than 30 or 40 people.”

Political pressure and administration

Johannesburg’s administration operates in what Brink described as a highly politicised environment, where political leadership sets priorities while officials carry out the work.

He said clear boundaries between political and administrative roles are essential.

“If you look at power and authority, you must be clear so that you protect your officials from the politicians and you protect the politicians from the officials.”

Residents frustrated by potholes, burst pipes and power outages often blame politicians, but Brink said the causes are broader.

“When there’s a pothole or water-related issues, people are not interested in what political party is in charge. They want the problem fixed.”

The water crisis explained

Water shortages across Johannesburg remain one of the biggest concerns for residents.

Brink said the city is not facing a ‘Day Zero’ scenario but acknowledged serious supply pressures.

Johannesburg’s licensed water allocation from Rand Water is about 1,550 megalitres per day, but demand has climbed to roughly 1,790 megalitres daily.

“That’s the first part. There’s a demand issue,” Brink said.

The problem is worsened by infrastructure losses.

About 44% of Johannesburg’s water is lost before reaching households due to burst pipes, leaks and illegal connections.

“It’s legacy-related issues, infrastructure decay and the need to reinvest back into water infrastructure.”

The City has launched a R32 billion water infrastructure plan over the next decade, aimed at replacing pipes and improving reservoirs.

But Brink warned some areas may continue experiencing disruptions for months while upgrades take place.

Migration and infrastructure pressure

Rapid population growth is placing additional strain on Johannesburg’s infrastructure.

Brink said migration to the economic hub is driving up demand for housing, services and jobs.

“Eight out of 10 people will say they are moving to Johannesburg,” he said.

This creates additional challenges for service delivery, including crime, informal trading and pressure on water systems.

Informal trading crackdown

The City has also begun cracking down on unregulated informal trading in parts of Johannesburg.

Brink said more than 2,100 applications from traders are being processed as part of efforts to formalise the sector.

For years, he said, the space had largely gone unregulated.

“Of course, if it’s illegal, we stop it. But we also provide education and training and guide traders on how to operate legally.”

The plan to fix Johannesburg

The city has outlined a three-phase recovery plan aimed at stabilising services and rebuilding infrastructure.

The strategy focuses on:

1.) Stabilising failing systems

2.) Rebuilding infrastructure capacity

3.) Modernising the city for long-term resilience

Officials are also seeking private sector investment to help fund infrastructure upgrades.

Brink said the City is working with the National Treasury and the South African Revenue Service to improve debt collection and strengthen finances.

“We need to move away from reactive crisis management.”

“The city is not broken”

Despite the challenges, Brink insisted Johannesburg is still capable of recovery.

“The city might be under pressure, but it’s not broken,” he said.

“We know where the problems are, and we are starting to fix them step by step.”

For residents frustrated by daily service failures, however, the key test will be whether those fixes arrive soon enough.

For more information, listen to Brink using the audio player below: