The company that fixed 343,000 potholes in South Africa’s most important city

Since launching in 2021, Discovery Insure’s Pothole Patrol has repaired more than 343,000 potholes across Johannesburg, helping improve road safety and save motorists over R44 million in damages.

From potholes and unreliable robots to ageing infrastructure and maintenance delays, Johannesburg is notorious for its poor-quality roads.

The Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) estimates its maintenance backlog for road infrastructure to be as high as R37.7 billion.

Speaking to Daily Investor, Discovery Insure’s chief commercial officer, Precious Nduli, explained that the devastating impacts of the city’s road quality.

“The South African road network is an integral part of our country’s ecosystem and economy and represents one of the largest public infrastructure investments,” Nduli said.

However, she said the country faces the challenge of ageing road infrastructure, with road defects such as potholes becoming increasingly widespread, which threaten the safety of South African road users.

“This is further exacerbated by extreme weather conditions and high volumes of load-bearing traffic,” Nduli said.

“While municipalities and road authorities continue to address these challenges, there is both an opportunity and a responsibility for the private sector to contribute meaningfully.”

Discovery Insure’s analysis of over 22 billion km of driving data found that environmental factors, such as road conditions, are among the leading causes of road fatalities.

To address this road-safety challenge, Discovery Pothole Patrol was launched in 2021 by Discovery Insure in partnership with the JRA and the City of Johannesburg.

“The initiative aims to support the city’s efforts to repair potholes and improve road safety for all users,” Nduli explained.

“Since its inception, more than 343,000 potholes have been repaired, using over 104 tons of asphalt to restore more than 86,000 square metres of road surface. This is equivalent to approximately 12 rugby fields.”

How Discovery fixes potholes

The pothole repair project has not been an easy undertaking. Not only is it difficult to fix a pothole, but it is equally challenging to ensure the repair holds in the long term.

“While potholes may appear simple to fix, durable repairs require technical expertise, specialised equipment, and strict quality control,” Nduli said.

“Discovery Pothole Patrol prioritises long-lasting solutions over short-term patching, using two advanced repair technologies.”

She explained that the first pothole repair method begins with high-pressure cleaning to prepare the area.

“A waterproofing spray is then applied to the inside of the pothole, followed by the injection of aggregate under high pressure and compaction,” she said.

“A second waterproofing layer is applied, and the process is completed with a fine layer of asphalt residue to create a durable seal.”

The second method, Nduli said, uses a thermal process that applies heat-based technology to recycle and rejuvenate existing road material.

“The damaged area is cleaned and heated to approximately 150°C to reactivate the bitumen, before being compacted with new material where necessary. This results in a seamless, long-lasting repair,” she said.

Each repair undergoes ongoing quality checks, resulting in a 99% success rate since 2021 (independently verified) and fewer than 0.2% requiring follow-up work, she added.

Pothole Patrol saves South Africans over R44 million

Since the launch of the initiative, Nduli said Discovery has received anecdotal feedback from residents indicating that roads in areas where Pothole Patrol operates are noticeably smoother and safer to drive.

In the 12 months following the launch of Discovery’s Pothole Patrol, independent audits have verified a 99% repair success rate.

Discovery Insure data also indicates a 67% decline in potholes reported in active areas, reflecting both proactive repairs and reduced recurring defects.

“Additionally, Discovery Insure reports a 26% decrease in pothole-related claims, resulting in savings of more than R44 million,” Nduli said.

However, she noted that potholes remain a significant road safety concern, particularly after periods of heavy or sustained rainfall, which accelerate their formation and increase the need for repairs.

“Our vision is to continue being a force for good by delivering meaningful impact across Johannesburg, not only for insurers and their clients, but for the broader community,” she said.

“We will continue to support the JRA in addressing high demand by directing resources to areas where they can have the greatest impact, such as high-traffic routes and regions with a high concentration of defects.”

Currently, Pothole Patrol operates only in Johannesburg under a mandate from the JRA, but Nduli said it could be expanded in the future.

“Given its impact, there is strong potential to expand the model to other regions, provided the necessary support and scalability measures are in place,” she said.

She noted that interest from other municipalities is already growing, with several exploring adoption of the initiative.

“We are carefully assessing these opportunities to ensure that the appropriate infrastructure, resources, and partnerships are established before any expansion,” she said.