Rates Watch (Pty) Ltd

22/05/2026

What happens if your Municipal Bill is too High?

15/05/2026

Summary

The White Paper is a system-wide reform document reviewing the 1998 White Paper on Local Government. Initiated by Cabinet in 2022 and publicly launched in May 2025, it draws on 266 public submissions, stakeholder engagements, and research papers. It contains approximately 65 policy recommendations across 10 substantive chapters, structured around five pillars: a unified local government system; clean and capable governance; differentiated powers and functions (with a pathway to a single-tier future); partnership-based relational governance; and financial and service delivery reform.

The White Paper is candid about the scale of failure: only 41 of 257 municipalities achieved clean audits in a recent snapshot; consumer debt to municipalities exceeded R400 billion by 2024/25; and Eskom tariffs to municipalities have risen by 910% in nominal terms since 2008 (quadrupling in real terms), severely eroding household affordability and municipal cross-subsidisation capacity.

The White Paper is a system-wide reform document reviewing the 1998 White Paper on Local Government. Initiated by Cabinet in 2022 and publicly launched in May 2025, it draws on 266 public submissions, stakeholder engagements, and research papers.

30/04/2026

Submission of comments on the 2026/2027 municipal draft budgets are now open and you are welcome to view these draft budgets by clicking on the various municipalities below.

Buffalo City

City of Cape Town

City of Johannesburg

City of Tshwane

Ekurhuleni City

eThekwini

Mangaung

Mbombela

Nelson Mandela Bay

Polokwane

Tzaneen

You are encouraged to review the relevant budgets and submit any comments directly to the respective municipalities within the stipulated time-frames.

Submission of comments on the 2026/2027 municipal draft budgets are now open and you are welcome to view these draft budgets by clicking on the various municipalities below

16/04/2026

The City of Johannesburg invites all ratepayers to join a public meeting to comment on the draft 2026/27 Integrated Development Plan (IDP), draft medium-term Budget, draft Rates Policy, draft Rates By-laws, proposed Rates Tariffs and proposed tariffs for trading services and other services from the public and any interested organisations in the City.

Meeting Schedule

2026-IDP-Meeting-ScheduleDownload

Copies of the draft documents can be downloaded from the City's website (joburg.org) or hard copies may be viewed at the regional offices as listed on the City's website.

Submissions can be made through the following channels and should reach the City by not later than Monday, 18 May 2026 at 17:00:

- Online by visiting www.joburg.org.za (under key documents).

The City of Johannesburg invites all ratepayers to join a public meeting to comment on the draft 2026/27 Integrated Development Plan (IDP), draft medium-term Budget, draft Rates Policy, draft Rates By-laws, proposed Rates Tariffs and proposed tariffs for trading services and other services from the....

14/04/2026

Cape Town homeowners are entering a new cycle of property valuations that will influence municipal bills for the next few years. The City’s latest General Valuation Roll, known as GV2025, reassesses the municipal value of nearly every property in the metro and will form the basis for calculating municipal rates from July 2026 onward. This will remain in place until the next valuation cycle. This latest valuation process covers roughly 970 000 properties and will be used to determine property rates, a tax paid by homeowners to fund municipal services such as roads, waste removal and public infrastructure. For many residents, the valuation process may feel abstract, yet it has very real financial implications.

Cape Town homeowners are entering a new cycle of property valuations that will influence municipal bills for the next few years.

02/04/2026

Appeal backlogs continue across several municipalities

City of Johannesburg

In addition, 97 decisions on GV2018 supplementary roll objections remain outstanding. Depending on the outcomes of these objections, the number of appeals may still increase.A total of 1 039 appeals were submitted by Rates Watch on the current valuation roll (GV2023). During 2024 and 2025, 994 appeals were heard. The bulk of the outstanding matters relate to residential properties categorised as Business and Commercial.Although the City was unsuccessful in its review of an appeal board decision relating to the categorisation of residential properties developed on erven zoned for business purposes ( https://www.rateswatch.co.za/our-newsletters/rates-watch-newsletter-2025/), and its application for leave to appeal was also refused, these matters have not yet been scheduled for hearings.Rates Watch will inform affected clients as soon as their appeals are scheduled.

There are 84 Rates Watch appeals from the previous valuation roll and supplementary valuation rolls (GV2018) still to be heard.

02/04/2026

New valuation rolls scheduled for implementation in July 2026

These include:• Breed Valley • City of Cape Town • Drakenstein • Emalahleni (Mpumalanga) • Emfuleni • Ethekwini Metro • KwaDukuza • Mangaung Metro • Rand West City A list of general and supplementary valuation rolls currently open for inspection and objection is available on the Rates Watch website:https://www.rateswatch.co.za/

Property owners should review new valuation rolls carefully once they are published to ensure that valuations and property categorisations are accurate.

More than 30 municipalities are expected to implement new valuation rolls on 1 July 2026.

30/03/2026

The eThekwini Municipality has confirmed that the objection period for the Fifth General Valuation Roll (GV2026) has been extended by one month, with the new closing date now set at 30 April 2026.

The extension was granted following representations from various stakeholders, including Rates Watch, and the Municipality cited operational and administrative considerations — including accessibility and orderly public participation — as factors in its decision.

The original objection period ran from 13 February to 31 March 2026, which the Municipality confirmed was already compliant with the requirements of the Municipal Property Rates Act. Property owners are encouraged to use this additional time to inspect the roll and lodge any objections, supported by relevant evidence, in accordance with the prescribed procedures.

The Municipality's formal confirmation letter is available to view below.

Letter 27.03.2026Download

25/03/2026

The legal wrangle over property valuations in Gauteng’s Lesedi local municipality has escalated into a wider governance storm, with indications that senior officials may be among the main beneficiaries of an unlawful municipal valuation roll.

At the heart of the saga is mayor Mluleki Nkosi’s properties, along with those linked to other senior municipal figures that appear to be significantly undervalued when compared to market estimates.

The Citizen has previously revealed that Nkosi’s residence in the upmarket Berg En Dal in Heidelberg extension 12, believed to be worth at least R3.5 million, was valued at just R800 000 on the roll.

Property prices in the neighbourhood range between R400 000 and R3.2 million. The mayor’s property was also allegedly excluded from a supplementary valuation roll after he took occupation.

The legal wrangle over property valuations in Gauteng’s Lesedi local municipality has escalated into a wider governance storm, with indications that senior officials may be among the main beneficiaries of an unlawful municipal valuation roll.

23/03/2026

This warning comes from Ben Espach, director of valuations at Rates Watch, a company that assists individuals and businesses with objections and appeals against valuations that are too high.

Municipalities that have issued new valuation rolls include:

- Cape Town

- eThekwini (Durban)

- Mangaung (Bloemfontein)

- Emalahleni (Witbank)

- Emfuleni (Vanderbijlpark)

- Saldanha Bay

- Metsimaholo (Sasolburg), and

- Kannaland (Ladysmith).

In most cases, the deadline for lodging objections falls in April.

12/03/2026

The City of Johannesburg is proud to introduce Phase 4 of the Debt Relief Programme, a key initiative aimed at helping residents and businesses recover from financial strain while promoting responsible payment and sustainable service delivery.

The City of Johannesburg is proud to introduce Phase 4 of the Debt Relief Programme, a key initiative aimed at helping residents and businesses recover from financial strain while promoting responsible payment and sustainable service delivery.

From 1 November 2025 to 31 October 2026, qualifying customers can benefit from a 50% municipal debt write-off, along with 100% interest and fee waivers. This means real financial relief for those who need it most — and a chance to start afresh with the City.

Approved by Council in 30 October 2025, this programme reflects the City's unwavering commitment to:

- Supporting households and businesses facing financial hardship.

- Protecting vulnerable communities, including pensioners and indigent residents.

The City of Johannesburg is proud to introduce Phase 4 of the Debt Relief Programme, a key initiative aimed at helping residents and businesses recover from financial strain while promoting responsible payment and sustainable service delivery.