JOHANNESBURG - If you live in and around Johannesburg Central, you should expect possible road closures and traffic delays this weekend.
This comes as joint law enforcement agencies are expected to conduct coordinated traffic operations ahead of the G20 Leaders’ Summit.
The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), Gauteng Traffic Police (GTP), Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) and South African Police Service (SAPS) will carry out the operations on Saturday, 15 November, between 9am and 1pm.
Officials say the exercise forms part of heightened security measures for the upcoming G20 events. The operations aim to ensure public safety, enforce traffic compliance and manage congestion across key Johannesburg routes.
Rolling road closures and lane restrictions will be in place throughout the morning.
Here’s a glance at the affected routes and areas you should be aware of.
Operations will target high-security corridors, including:
Major National and Regional Routes:
- N1
- M1
- N12
Major Arterial and Urban Roads:
- 5th Street, Maude Street, Daisy Street
- Rivonia Road, Grayston Drive, Kathrine Street
- Whiteley Road, Melrose Boulevard
- Athol Oaklands Road, Oxford Road, Glenhove Road
- Jan Smuts Avenue, Winnie Mandela Drive, Hendrick Potgieter Road
- Rand Show Road, Nasrec Road, Golden Highway (Nasrec)
A statement released by the RTMC urged motorists to plan ahead, allow additional travel time, and consider alternative routes where possible. “These measures are essential to enhance public safety, enforce traffic compliance, and support ongoing traffic law enforcement initiatives, including vehicle inspections and congestion management,” said the statement.
The suggested alternative routes include:
- In Roodepoort, use Beyers Naudé Drive, Christiaan De Wet Road or Ontdekkers Road instead of Hendrick Potgieter Road.
- Within Fourways, consider Main Road, Cedar Road and Witkoppen Road.
- In Sandton, Rosebank and Parktown, use side streets parallel to Jan Smuts, Oxford or Rivonia Road, including Corlett Drive, Sandton Drive and 11th Avenue.
- In southern Johannesburg, including Riverlea, Nasrec and Ormonde View, use Chris Hani Road, Main Reef Road, Crownwood Road, Soweto Highway, N17, Aerodrome Road and Adcock Ingram Road.
Authorities say clear signage and traffic officers will be deployed to assist motorists, and access for emergency and essential services will remain prioritised.
City Clean-Up Ahead of the Summit
News of this weekend’s traffic operations follows a city-wide clean-up already underway in Johannesburg. In recent weeks, potholes have been filled, garbage cleared and major routes repaired. While many residents have welcomed the improvements, community representatives have questioned the timing.
READ | G20 Clean-Up | City clean-up under scrutiny as G20 comes to Jozi
In a previous interview, Neeshan Bolton from the Joburg Crisis Alliance told eNCA that these repairs, though long overdue, raise concerns about sustainability. “These rapid improvements should be welcome, but what it does indicate is that these long-standing issues could’ve been fixed,” he said.
Critics believe the push may be aimed more at impressing visiting leaders than addressing everyday service delivery failures. The President responded, saying the clean-up isn’t just for appearance, but rather a chance to set a standard for the future.
South Africa holds the G20 Presidency from December 2024 to November 2025, a pivotal moment placing Africa’s priorities at the centre of global decision-making. The G20 Leaders’ Summit will be hosted in Johannesburg from 22 to 23 November, under the theme Solidarity, Sustainability and Resilience.