GILBERT MANENYE
Staff Writer
Gaborone City Council may have been losing significant revenue for more than a decade from its outdoor advertising assets due to widespread non-compliance, unpaid fees and unauthorised structures, according to the Gaborone City Investment Company (GCIC).
The company, which now manages the city’s outdoor advertising portfolio, says preliminary findings from an ongoing audit suggest that commercial advertising activity on public infrastructure has long outpaced enforcement and revenue collection, leaving the city underpaid for the use of prime urban space.
GCIC chief executive officer Kabo Moitoi said the company inherited a fragmented system marked by weak oversight and widespread breaches of advertising regulations.
“There was clear evidence of widespread non-compliance, including unpaid fees and unauthorised structures,” Moitoi told the Business Weekly & Review.
“While a full audit is still underway, preliminary assessments indicate that the City has lost significant amounts over the past decade due to these leakages.”
According to GCIC, the irregularities cut across the outdoor advertising ecosystem, involving advertisers, agencies and property owners. The violations range from minor administrative breaches to long-running installations operating without valid authorisation or payment.
While the company has not named specific entities, it says some structures have remained in place for years without approval or financial settlement to the city.
The problem, Moitoi said, is not limited to small operators but extends across the industry, including established advertising agencies and major corporate advertisers.
Rather than immediately pursuing enforcement, GCIC has introduced a phased compliance process allowing advertisers, agencies and property owners to regularise their status.
“The process is however, time-bound and a full enforcement campaign will follow,” Moitoi said.
The exercise is expected to affect a wide range of outdoor advertising sites and campaigns currently visible across Gaborone, as GCIC moves to assert control over the use of public advertising space.
Beyond recovering lost revenue, the company says the intervention is aimed at unlocking the full commercial potential of one of the city’s most underperforming assets.
Moitoi said outdoor advertising revenues have historically fallen far below potential despite the strategic value of public advertising locations across the capital.
“Successful implementation of the compliance programme will significantly transform the City’s revenue profile,” he said.
He added that closing the leakages would make the portfolio more predictable and significantly increase annual collections, strengthening the city’s capacity to fund infrastructure and service delivery.
“What stood out most was the sheer scale and persistence of the revenue leakage,” Moitoi said.
“While some level of inefficiency was anticipated, the extent was greater than initially expected.”
Moitoi said the findings highlight the need to restore accountability in the management of public advertising assets and ensure that city residents benefit fully from their commercial value.
