For Jabu Dhlamini, public service is more than a career, it's a calling. As South Africa marks Women's Month, the City of Johannesburg celebrates one of the dedicated women who has spent more than two decades ensuring that municipal services reach residents who need them most.
As Deputy Director: Revenue Stakeholder Engagement in Group Finance's Revenue Shared Services Centre (RSSC), Dhlamini leads outreach programmes that take municipal services directly into communities, making it easier for residents —particularly vulnerable groups — to access essential City services.
The RSSC outreach programme complements the City's Revenue Open Days by bringing services closer to residents with the Social Development Department (ESP unit), City Power, and Johannesburg Water.
Dhlamini has literally taken municipal services to where residents live across all corners of the City. The driving force behind her is her quest to see every vulnerable property owner has access to municipal services. She has taken her team and visited old age homes, community halls, recreational facilities, malls, and shopping centres in all the City's seven regions.
She has made it her mission to bring municipal services to the people, such as assisting pensioners to register for pensioner rebates so they get reductions on their property rates and registering indigents on the Expanded Social Package (ESP) to qualify for free basic services like water and electricity.
“Customers normally say they appreciate when they see us (City officials) at the malls bringing services closer to them," says Dhlamini.
Unlike Gen-Z, who prefer online platforms to transact with the City, Dhlamini says many customers such as pensioners still prefer a face-to-face approach to receiving services.
She holds a Master's of Business Administration, a qualification in Business Project Management, and a National Diploma in Public Relations Management, alongside an impressive array of other qualifications.
Dhlamini joined the City in 2005 as a Project Manager, serving in the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department's Safety Programme division. Her sheer determination saw her rise through the ranks in the City. She also previously worked as an Assistant Director in the Disaster Management Directorate, where she was part of the City's Joint Command Centre for the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup.
Reflecting on many years of suffering from back pain, which ultimately led to a complicated back operation in February 2024, Dhlamini defied her doctor's recommendation for temporary incapacitation leave. A few months after the operation, she was back at work.
“I was getting bored and depressed by just sitting at home and doing nothing," she remarks with her usual infectious smile.
Written by Nkosana Lekotjolo
7/08/2026
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