Johannesburg is viewed adversely in most source markets which can impact negatively on tourism visitor numbers to the city. It is not clear whether the city stakeholders are consulted or participate in the city branding initiatives as it is based on city stakeholders’ discretion, hence, substantial knowledge gaps remain regarding the implementation of appropriate structures and processes for efficient and effective city branding. This research aimed to develop a framework for branding the City of Johannesburg (FBJ), which was tested among city stakeholders. A qualitative approach was followed, using a single case study, namely the City of Johannesburg and borrowing literature from grounded theory. Individual in-depth interviews and focus group discussions were conducted to collect data during the month of April 2022. The data was analysed question-by-question as they appeared on the research instrument with the assistance of ATLAS.ti version 22. At the time of conceptualising the study limited research was reported on city branding in Johannesburg. The study’s results hereby aim to fill the gap identified on South African city branding literature. Study findings state that, from the city stakeholders’ point of view, there is limited understanding and implementation of appropriate city branding structures and processes, which have led to less efficient and effective city branding.