Johannesburg is the G20 host city, but its traffic light system has broken down in 2025 - accelerating its de-modernisation.

A community investigation by Daily Maverick and information from the authorities show that thousands of traffic lights are down and that the intersections on most major roads that ferry people and goods across what is still the country's commercial capital are on the blink.

In a post with 190,000 impressions and 3,466 engagements, Johannesburg residents helped map (above) the breakdown to expose its extent. This first social investigation experiment has revealed the extent to which the major intersections across the city, its vital commuter and economic nerve, are down causing frustration to drivers, commuters and economic actors.

It's slowing the economy by causing bottlenecks and is one among several system breakdowns that are rapidly making Johannesburg the country's second city to a surging Cape Town.

The Johannesburg Roads Agency falls under the Patriotic Alliance whose political head is the party's deputy leader Kenny Kunene. He promised great shakes when he took over as Transport MMC in 2023. For years the traffic-light network has steadily declined as cadre deployment, power cuts, copper theft and a budget crowded out by staff and debt costs, as well...