Johannesburg – In a joint assertion, Enterprise Unity South Africa (BUSA), Enterprise Management South Africa (BLSA), and the Enterprise for South Africa (B4SA) Steering Committee have said that, “Enterprise is deeply dedicated to South Africa and believes strongly in its long-term potential”.
The assertion launched on Thursday, 4 June 2026, additionally states that South Africa’s financial trajectory was enhancing.
“Enterprise confidence is recovering, vitality stability has been restored, and the nation’s first sovereign credit standing improve in 20 years alerts real momentum,” the BUSA, BLSA, B4SA steering committee mentioned of their joint assertion.
“Sustaining and accelerating that momentum requires Johannesburg to operate.”
Johannesburg accounts for roughly 16% of South Africa’s GDP.
It’s the nation’s business capital and the town the place a disproportionate share of home and overseas funding choices are made.
When Johannesburg is in a state of seen decline, it undermines the nationwide progress story at exactly the second a extra optimistic narrative is gaining credibility.
“This isn’t a neighborhood political drawback. It’s a nationwide financial emergency,” the joint assertion mentioned.
“Johannesburg’s fiscal and governance disaster has been constructing for years.
“It isn’t a brand new or partisan challenge, and the failures of the previous decade have occurred below successive administrations and shifting coalition preparations.
“What’s new is the severity and urgency of the state of affairs.”
The Minister of Finance has formally positioned the town on discover: its adjustment funds is unfunded, it’s in extreme monetary misery, and the July 2026 equitable share instalment is in danger until corrective motion is taken instantly.
Eskom has indicated it might droop electrical energy provide to the town over unpaid debt.
“The state of affairs is severe, and it’s the results of amassed failures, not of a single administration,” the assertion mentioned
“The info just isn’t in dispute.
“Capital expenditure has collapsed to six% of the Metropolis’s funds.
“Upkeep spending stands at 0.5% of asset worth, roughly one-eighteenth of the metro common.
“Charges and repair prices have elevated by 124% in actual phrases over the previous 15 years, whereas service high quality has deteriorated sharply.”
The BUSA, BLSA, B4SA steering committee mentioned the state of affairs was not as a consequence of an absence of monetary sources.
“Corruption, criminality, and maladministration look like more and more entrenched inside components of the Metropolis,” they mentioned within the joint assertion.
The Auditor-Common estimates annual losses of roughly R12 billion by unauthorised and irregular expenditure.
“Property values have fallen materially,” the assertion mentioned.
“This has made our residents and companies poorer and decreased confidence within the Metropolis’s future.
“Fragile and unstable coalitions have produced ten mayors in 10 years, making coherent long-term governance nearly inconceivable.”
The instability is each historic and ongoing: up to now few months alone, three motions of no confidence have been filed towards the present mayor by a celebration that’s itself a part of the governing coalition.
“This isn’t about which political celebration governs the Metropolis; it’s about how it’s ruled,” the assertion mentioned.
“Enterprise is and can stay non-partisan.
“However non-partisan doesn’t imply passive.”
The assertion added: “We’re making this name now, forward of native authorities elections, as a result of the requirements of governance the town requires can’t wait for one more electoral cycle”.
The BUSA, BLSA, B4SA steering committee said that whoever types the following administration will inherit an pressing, structural problem.
“Allow us to be clear: this isn’t about which political celebration governs Johannesburg; it’s about how the Metropolis is ruled,” their assertion mentioned.
“We’re addressing this assertion to all political events — these at the moment in authorities within the Metropolis, these in opposition, and people who will contest the upcoming native authorities elections.
“We’re addressing it to the President and to the nationwide GNU.
“We’re additionally addressing this to the residents and companies of Johannesburg, who bear the actual value of its failure.”
The BUSA, BLSA, B4SA steering committee said that’s was setting out, publicly and particularly, what “we consider purposeful governance in Johannesburg should ship.”
The contains capital infrastructure that’s adequately funded and maintained; irregular and wasteful expenditure that’s eradicated; service supply measured towards clear indicators and reported on transparently; management held accountable for outcomes; and consequence administration utilized persistently and with out exception.
The BUSA, BLSA, B4SA steering committee mentioned it was herefore asking for the next short-term commitments from all events with the authority and duty to behave:
- From the present Metropolis administration: speedy stabilisation of the Metropolis’s funds, clear reporting towards clear service supply indicators, and credible consequence administration for corruption and irregular expenditure — beginning now, not after the election.
- From all events contesting the elections: particular, costed commitments on how they’ll deal with the Metropolis’s fiscal disaster, restore infrastructure, and re-establish purposeful governance — not broad guarantees, however plans that may be held to account.
- From the President and nationwide authorities: lively use of the powers accessible to nationwide and provincial authorities to help the structural and monetary reforms that city-level management alone can’t ship, and constant enforcement of consequence administration the place governance requirements should not met.
What enterprise commits to doing
Enterprise is the town’s largest ratepayer.
Industrial properties symbolize 26.5% of property values but contribute 55.4% of property charges income.
“That offers us each a direct monetary stake within the metropolis’s restoration and a direct duty to behave,” the BUSA, BLSA, B4SA steering committee joint assertion mentioned.
Enterprise leaders are already engaged: funding help to authorities departments engaged on native authorities reform; contributing to infrastructure restore together with potholes, site visitors alerts, and inner-city upkeep; and partnering with authorities and civil society organisations to handle native issues.
“These efforts are actual however fragmented,” the assertion mentioned.
“We wish to systematise, coordinate, and scale them.”
As has been demonstrated by the measurable progress made in vitality and freight logistics by the nationwide authorities Enterprise Partnership, enterprise mentioned they’ll contribute experience, execution functionality, and sources the place governance situations allow efficient collaboration.
The BUSA, BLSA, B4SA steering committee said that they’re ready to deploy acceptable personal sector sources right into a programme of structured help for Johannesburg’s restoration, on the situation that we’ve got a counterparty able to governing scrupulously, delivering for the Metropolis, and being held to account.
“As soon as that counterparty is in place, we’re ready to work in partnership to develop a restoration programme protecting infrastructure, service supply, and monetary stabilisation, and decide the place enterprise can most successfully contribute to its supply,” the assertion mentioned.
This is able to be modelled on the constructions which have labored on the nationwide degree.
“We may also work with nationwide authorities and the Metropolis to establish particular interventions the place personal sector experience, funding, and execution capability will be deployed with velocity and accountability,” the BUSA, BLSA, B4SA steering committee assertion mentioned.
“We consider that publicly monitoring and reporting on governance and repair supply commitments made by the Metropolis and by events contesting the elections will assist to make sure that accountability is maintained past native authorities elections.
“We undertake to help with this.”
Johannesburg’s restoration is a nationwide crucial
Johannesburg has extraordinary underlying potential as a magnet for funding, a generator of jobs, and the engine of progress for the broader financial system.
“We’re issuing this assertion as a result of the state of affairs is pressing and demanding, as a result of the price of continued inaction falls on all South Africans, and since we consider that shining a transparent public gentle on each the disaster and its potential options is our duty,” said the BUSA, BLSA, B4SA steering committee.
“Enterprise leaders are able to play their half in rebuilding Johannesburg, strengthening South Africa’s progress trajectory, and creating jobs — in concrete, seen, and significant methods. We name on all these with authority and accountability to do the identical.”
