Municipal finances in crisis: Johannesburg and Cape Town in historical comparison
The City of Johannesburg is widely regarded as being in crisis, requiring a Presidential intervention in early 2025 to address the poor state of its governance, finances and service delivery. However, while the symptoms of a crisis are plainly visible, its precise contours and its underlying causes and dynamics need to be defined more precisely if there is to be an adequate response. This interactive visualisation deepens understanding of the crisis by comparing the City’s finances to those of the City of Cape Town for the 17 year period 2008/09–2025/26.
Date of publication:
December 2025
Author(s):
Budget pressures for Gauteng: Analysis of the 2025/26 MTBPS
Using data from the original Gauteng Provincial Government Budget 2025/26, the 2025 Mid-year Budget Adjustment, and the 2025 Medium Term Budget Policy statement (MTBPS), this visualisation considers key expenditure and revenue trends for GPG. It examines contextual pressures on the budget and budget strategy elements, including analysis of: equitable share allocations to Gauteng compared to other provinces; budget projections relative to inflation and population growth rates; and spending changes at departmental level.
Date of publication:
December 2025
