Discovery Pothole Patrol: Meet Kgotso Pule, superhero of Joburg roads

Kgotso Pule takes a sip from a Red Bull can. He's standing on the side of a busy Sandton road. It's only 08:00, but he needs the caffeine bump. It's an unusually frigid autumn morning, and he's been up since 04:30, catching a taxi and Uber from Alexandra township to get to work on time.

As a pothole repairer for Discovery Pothole Patrol, he looks the part. High-visibility orange vest: check. Discovery Pothole Patrol-branded pants, knees ringed with a reflective strip: check. Workman's gloves and boots: check. Black, woollen beanie: check. Safety googles and PPE mask: check.

From butcher to pothole repairer

Kgotso has been with Discovery Pothole Patrol since the public-private initiative's launch in May 2021. The partnership 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. Behind the initiative is a team of around 40 people working across eight repair vehicles each day to repair the city's potholes.

At 27, Kgotso is one of the youngest on his team. He has a large build and a deep laugh. Before joining Discovery Pothole Patrol, he was a butcher. "It's terrifying because of the machines," he laughs. "They cry all day." He also worked an office job. "I didn't like it. I kept falling asleep." Kgotso says he always wanted a job that kept him active and around people. In 2020, he became a certified pointsman and traffic controller.

"I learnt you must be confident to direct traffic, and that safety comes first. It prepared me well for Discovery Pothole Patrol. Motorists can be naughty sometimes, especially the delivery bikes. But we're big boys and can handle them," he laughs.

Log a pothole, save a life

Today, Kgotso's team is working on two sections of the same main road. Discovery Pothole Patrol inspectors had already demarcated the reported potholes with red spray paint a few days earlier. Since launch, Johannesburg residents have reported more than 90,000 potholes through the free Discovery Pothole Patrol app. Kgotso pulls out his phone with a gloved hand and opens the app. "Many people don't know about the app, but they can save a life by logging a pothole," he says.

Taxing but rewarding work

Once the area is cordoned off, Kgotso and another team member tackle the first pothole. Using a leaf blower, Kgotso clears the offending pothole of yellow autumn leaves. The foliage lends the pothole an artistic feel, but like autumn itself, the look is fleeting. Both men pull on their PPE masks and safety goggles. The pothole is cleaned, waterproofed and sealed using specialised repair equipment. Kgotso compacts the repair using a machine that sounds and looks as if a lawnmower and jackhammer had a baby.

It's physically demanding work, but Kgotso finds purpose in it.

"Before joining Discovery Pothole Patrol, I saw a terrible accident caused by a pothole," he says. "A taxi driver lost control and crashed into a wall. That stayed with me. I realised potholes can kill people."

'It feels good to be part of the solution'

Working on Johannesburg's roads has taught Kgotso patience and humility.

"Some people are late for work and blame you for closing the road," he says. "I just answer calmly, move the cones, smile and let them pass. We get more positive reactions than negative. Residents appreciate us. They tell us we're angels and doing God's work."

For Kgotso, repairing potholes is about more than fixing roads.

"I help people travel to work and school safely," he says. "We are the superheroes of the streets. It feels good to be part of the solution."

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.