City of Johannesburg Municipal Report: Findings from the GCRO’s Quality of Life survey 7 (2023/24)

This report presents an in-depth analysis of data from the Quality of Life Survey 7 (QoL 7) (2023/24), focusing on the City of Johannesburg (CoJ). The analyses cover key aspects such as demographic composition, access to basic services and satisfaction with them, infrastructure conditions, and public engagement with local government. The findings reveal significant mixed trends in public satisfaction and highlight critical areas for governance and policy intervention.

The Johannesburg survey sample reflects the CoJ’s demographic and socio-economic significance, providing a broad representation of the population. Black Africans form the majority of survey respondents, a distribution that aligns with Johannesburg's historical and socio-political landscape. Gender representation is nearly equal, enhancing the reliability of the data. The socio-economic profile of the respondents highlights persistent challenges related to poverty and inequality, with a significant proportion of households reporting low incomes. However, educational attainment levels are promising, indicating potential for social mobility and economic development within the city.

Service delivery and infrastructure are significant areas of concern. The data reveals a decline in the proportion of residents living in formal dwellings, alongside growing dissatisfaction with housing conditions, reflecting the strain of urbanisation and housing shortages. Access to basic services, particularly water and energy, is also a pressing issue. Perceptions of having clean water have declined, and dissatisfaction with water services points to serious infrastructure challenges.

Similarly, energy access has shifted, with decreased use of electricity for lighting and rising dissatisfaction due to unstable supply. Despite increases in, for example, integrated development planning (IDP) meeting attendance, participation in governance activities remains low, suggesting barriers to civic engagement. Rising dissatisfaction with local government further reflects mounting frustration with service delivery, infrastructure management, and governance transparency.