Discovery Pothole Patrol's Jan Makwela takes pride in fixing Joburg - one pothole at a time

A clutch of hadadas huddle and squawk on a solar-panelled rooftop. Johannesburg autumn mornings aren't supposed to be as cold as this, but it's 08:00 and the sun is fighting a losing battle with the clouds.

Jan Makwela and his team pull up in a black Discovery Pothole Patrol-branded vehicle in a quiet but bustling Sandton suburb. Born in a Limpopo village and raised in Alexandra township, Jan is now one of the people helping keep Johannesburg moving.

As a team leader and pothole repairer, he's been with Discovery Pothole Patrol since it started in May 2021. The public-private initiative between Discovery Insure, the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA), the City of Johannesburg (CoJ) and Avis South Africa (which joined in 2023) has repaired more than 340,000 potholes across Johannesburg. And behind every repair are people like Jan.

Discovery Pothole Patrol deploys eight pothole repair vehicles daily across the city. Soon after arriving on site, Jan and his team block off the area with signage and orange cones. A third team member directs the morning rush with a secret yet universally understood language. In white gloves, he signals drivers to 'slow down', 'stop', and 'go', with great precision and flair. Many give a quick 'thank you' hoot as they drive on.

From Limpopo to... somewhere 'more sexy'

Although he was born in Limpopo, Jan (43) grew up in Alexandra township, where he still lives. "I'm not a 'born-free', and growing up in Alex wasn't easy, especially in the 80s," he says. "By the grace of God, we survived the fighting and strikes. I'd rather live somewhere else, but not because I don't like Alex - just for a change of environment. Maybe I should stay somewhere more sexy... like this suburb?" he laughs.

After finishing school, Jan studied accounting and financial management at a college in Braamfontein and later worked at the South African Revenue Service (SARS) for five years as a data capturer. "I guess I have a love for money!" he laughs again. "My family took education seriously. My parents used to say to me: 'If you don't learn, you're going to clean your friends' cars', which is true."

Hard graft and hustling

Jan's team has several potholes to fix in two areas of the same main road. Usually, they can get six or seven done before knocking off at 17:00. He's already hot in his high-visibility vest and work pants, but that's a good thing considering the weather.

Before any repair work begins, Johannesburg residents need to log a pothole using the free Discovery Pothole Patrol app. An inspector is then sent to assess the site. Using specialised repair methods, potholes are cleaned, waterproofed and sealed to prevent repeat failures. Since 2021, Discovery Pothole Patrol has maintained a 99% repair success rate, with less than 0.2% of repaired potholes needing further attention.

Fixing potholes is physically demanding work, but Jan has never been afraid of hard graft. After leaving SARS, he worked as a courier for a logistics company before COVID-19 dried up the work.

"It was stressful. I had to pay my daughter's school fees, so I couldn't sit around and do nothing," he says. "I sold tomatoes and onions and hustled for a bit. Then I found out about Discovery Pothole Patrol online. Even though I didn't have experience repairing potholes, they gave me a chance. I went through training, and here we are."

Making a difference

For Jan, repairing potholes brings a real sense of pride. "Residents are happy when we fix the roads. They'll give us cold drinks, sometimes even buy us lunch just to thank us," he says. "It makes me proud to help people and make their lives easier."

Jan's daughter, now 17 and in Grade 11, is also proud of the work he does.

"She wants to become many things: a lawyer, a psychologist, an entrepreneur," he says. "She's not sitting back. I tell her all the time that I'm making a difference and saving lives. She thinks it's very cool."

For Jan, every repaired pothole matters.

"Every repaired pothole means someone gets home a little safer," he says. "That makes me proud."

To report a pothole in Johannesburg, simply download the free Discovery Pothole Patrol app (available for iOS and Android), register, and then upload a picture or capture your location.