19/10/2026
Johannesburg's informal settlements have more than doubled. Where was the planning?
The number of recognised informal settlements in Johannesburg has increased from 181 to 379 in just over a decade, while the estimated number of households has grown from nearly 170,000 to 365,000.
JoburgCAN believes this alarming increase exposes years of poor planning, weak land-use management and inadequate enforcement of municipal by-laws.
While the City has a responsibility to improve living conditions and find long-term solutions for vulnerable households, it must also prevent further unlawful land occupation and consider the impact on surrounding established communities.
Good planning must consider everyone affected.
We are calling for stronger by-law enforcement, proper infrastructure planning, meaningful public consultation and a clear implementation plan for the City's new Informal Settlements Policy.
Johannesburg cannot afford another decade of uncontrolled growth.
🔗 Read our full statement:
https://zurl.co/aOnHu
The policy, approved by Council last month, provides for the profiling of settlements and their residents, including identifying and numbering individual households. It also requires the City to record whether households own or rent their dwellings and whether residents have alternative accommodatio...
