One company says goodbye to 340,000 potholes in South Africa’s richest city

Discovery’s Pothole Patrol has repaired more than 343,000 potholes since the service was launched five years ago.

Formed in May 2021, the Pothole Patrol represents a public-private partnership between Discovery Insure, the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA), the City of Johannesburg, and Avis Southern Africa.

Since its launch, the service has used more than 104 tonnes of asphalt to repair over 86,000 square metres of road surface in and around Joburg – enough to cover 12 rugby fields.

Ground operations are conducted by a team of 40 people operating from eight repair vehicles, who repair potholes across the city on a daily basis.

“They work tirelessly every day repairing potholes, often without recognition, but what they are really doing is making roads safer and helping restore confidence in the city,” said Robert Attwell, CEO of Discovery Insure.

Most of the staff working for Discovery Pothole Patrol have been with the company since the beginning.

“Many of the team members have been part of the initiative since 2021,” said Precious Nduli, Chief Commercial Officer at Discovery Insure.

“They work long hours, operate heavy machinery and often work in difficult conditions, but they take enormous pride in knowing their work helps keep people safe.”

Nduli stated that the project’s long-term success has been driven by the quality and durability of the repairs, as the company has a success rate of over 99% when sites are tested one year later.

Combating Joburg’s decline

The pothole initiative was informed by Discovery Insure’s analysis of more than 22 billion kilometres of driving data, which identified poor road conditions as a growing risk for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.

Adrian Gore, Group Chief Executive of Discovery, said the initiative demonstrates what is possible when business, government and residents work together to solve practical problems at scale.

“Fixing potholes may seem like a small intervention, but it has meaningful downstream effects. Fewer potholes lead to fewer accidents, lower insurance claims and a reduced maintenance burden on the City.”

He added that the service helps to “turn symbols of decline into evidence of progress.”

The initiative has also been driven by Joburg residents, who have reported over 90,000 potholes through the free Discovery Pothole Patrol app.

One individual has reported 1,493 potholes on the app, the highest figure logged by a single person on the platform to date.

Gore said the Pothole Patrol demonstrates how public-private collaboration can lead to meaningful results.

Zweli Nyathi, Chief Executive Officer of the JRA, said the five-year milestone of the initiative has shown the value of sustained collaboration in addressing critical service delivery challenges facing the City.

“Through the Discovery Pothole Patrol partnership, we have demonstrated that when government and the private sector work together with a shared commitment to residents, we can achieve meaningful and measurable impact.”

“Road infrastructure is fundamental to economic activity, public safety and the daily mobility of our communities. Every pothole repaired contributes towards safer roads, improved commuter confidence and the preservation of Johannesburg’s road network.”

How the Discovery Pothole Patrol works

Residents in Joburg can download the free Discovery Pothole Patrol app, which is available on both iOS and Android.

Citizens can then use the app to take photos and record the location of a pothole for repair teams.

Discovery noted that, when a pothole falls outside the size the City has mandated for its service to fix, the defect is considered a “reinstatement” (restoring a damaged section of the road).

These cases are referred to the JRA for resurfacing or reconstruction as part of the City’s broader infrastructure programmes.

The insurer also warned residents not to try to repair potholes themselves, as the City of Johannesburg’s by-laws require written permission for road repairs.

Informal repairs create safety risks and expose individuals to legal liability if the correct procedure is not followed.