JPC tackles illegal advertising head on
FOURWAYS – Illegal advertising continues to clutter the city.
According to Helen Botes, CEO of Joburg Property Company, there are about 30 000 various forms of street furniture and street poles, 720 billboards, 3 800 on-premises signs and 130 cellular masts and antennae that the company manages.
Speaking at the Outdoor Advertising Indaba hosted at the Indaba Hotel, Botes explained that while the figures were impressive, the city also faced an oversupply of various outdoor advertising mediums alongside the proliferation of illegal signs. This not only posed environmental challenges but was also a public nuisance. She added that more than 70 percent of the billboards were non-compliant with bylaws.
Pieter Lindstrom, chairman of advertising agency Out of Home South Africa, attributed the high number of illegal signs to delays in the application process with the city council
Botes explained that a direct consequence of displayed advertising signs which were not approved by the City was the reduction in the value of existing legal signs. Many illegal advertising boards also contravened the technical specifications of the bylaws – consequently, many legal operators suffered as advertisers spent large portions of their budgets on superior illegal signs, she added.
According to Lindstrom, the solution is to strengthen the laws governing advertising. “The only solution that is feasible is the tightening up and enforcement of the law. In South Africa, we have seen a trend where the activities of lawlessness are increasing exponentially.”
Details: www.jhbproperty.co.za
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