Joburg's 2025/26 budget: Prioritising economic growth

CITY of Johannesburg Finance MMC Margaret Arnolds yesterday tabled the municipality's 2025/26 budget of R89.4 billion, which is fully funded.

- LOYISO SIDIMBA

For the 2025/26 financial year, the City of Johannesburg presented operating revenue of R84.8bn, operating expenditure of R80.7bn, and R4.1bn in a projected surplus before taxation and capital grants.

The capital budget is R8.7bn and will total R26.2bn over the medium term, according to Arnolds.

She said the key revenue drivers of the total budget of R89.4bn for the 2025/26 financial year are electricity (R25.6bn), water and wastewater (R20bn), property rates (R18.1bn), refuse removal (R3.3bn), and the national fuel levy allocation (R4.57bn) from the National Treasury will increase by 10.8%.

Revenue is projected to increase by 9.3% in 2025/26 compared to the previous financial year, and this is primarily driven by service charges, which account for the largest share of the city's revenue base.

Electricity service charges are budgeted at R25.6bn, up by 12.5%, reflecting the approved tariff increase of 12.41%, which is passed through from Eskom.