South Africa's pothole crisis: The impact of poor workmanship on road infrastructure

SOUTH Africa's road infrastructure, spanning approximately 750,000 km and ranking as the tenth longest road network globally, currently battles a significant pothole crisis exacerbated by inadequate workmanship.

This recurring issue not only undermines road safety but also imposes a heavy financial burden on taxpayers, motorists, and different levels of government.

The South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) is currently managing about 21,403 km of paved roads, provinces manage approximately 204,830 km of paved and unpaved roads, while municipalities manage roughly 292,207km of paved and unpaved roads. Pothole repairs are estimated to cost between R700 and R1,500 per square metre based on previous data from the Department of Transport.

In 2022, the government launched Operation Vala Zonke to address one of South Africa’s most persistent infrastructure challenges.

This nationwide campaign, aimed at eliminating potholes from the country’s roads, was spearheaded by the Department of Transport and implemented by Sanral. The project calls for the collaboration of national, provincial, and local governments, as well as the private sector and the public.

The programme is facilitated through a purpose-made Vala Zonke mobile app that can be downloaded free of charge by members of the public. Using the app, potholes can be reported and geotagged anywhere in the country. Teams can then be dispatched to effect repairs.

Sanral has highlighted poor workmanship as one of the ongoing challenges identified through the Vala Zonke initiative, often resulting from inadequate preparation of potholes before filling.

Sanral said such shortcuts can lead to premature failure of repairs, ultimately undermining road safety and wasting valuable resources.

“The lack of monitoring and testing by the road authorities allows contractors to produce substandard work. This requires competent people to be part of the team monitoring the performance of the contractors,” said Sanral spokesperson Lwando Mahlasela.

He said the app includes built-in data monitoring features from the War Room, which allow road authorities to assess the quality of repair efforts and identify recurring issues, many of which can be linked to workmanship.

Mahlasela said road authorities are equipped to respond effectively, overseen by the Vala Zonke War Room. This initiative enhances coordination among municipalities and provinces for safer roads.

However, he said, despite the successful launch of the Vala Zonke app, it remains underutilised, limiting the national War Room’s ability to maintain full oversight of reported potholes.

“To date, 120,123 potholes have been officially logged through the app, a number that likely represents only a fraction of the actual potholes on South Africa’s roads due to limited app engagement. A large number of potholes remain unreported in the poorer residential areas due to a lack of access to data to report,” he said.

He said this gap in reporting highlights the importance of greater participation from the public and road authorities, both in using the app and in integrating other reporting systems into the Vala Zonke platform.

“Encouragingly, provincial authorities have repaired over four million square metres of paved road surfaces, showing a clear commitment to addressing the crisis. However, accurate data remains critical for prioritising repairs, allocating resources efficiently, and holding stakeholders accountable,” said Mahlasela.

Sanral and the Department of Transport encourage all citizens and municipalities to utilise the Vala Zonke app for reporting, tracking, and facilitating the repair of every pothole.

According to Sanral, while the Vala Zonke War Room and app have laid a strong foundation for coordinated pothole management, several challenges are still hindering the programme’s full potential.

“One major issue is the lack of training among some road authorities in using the secure systems provided to report back to the War Room,” said Mahlasela.

In many cases, he said repairs are being completed on the ground, but the status updates are not submitted through the correct channels, leading to data gaps and an incomplete national picture.

Additional obstacles include, but are not limited to, limited digital literacy among officials, fear of transitioning to new systems, insufficient accountability at certain levels, constraints in funding as road authorities require additional funding for pothole repairs, capacity, capability, and resources, such as a lack of data and equipment.

Mahlasela stated that these challenges slow down reporting, tracking, and performance evaluation, ultimately affecting the speed and quality of pothole repairs.

“Sanral and the National Department of Transport continue to roll out training and support programmes, aiming to empower road authorities with the skills, tools, and confidence needed to fully integrate into the Vala Zonke programme.”

Road authorities using their own pothole reporting apps or systems are encouraged to integrate with the Vala Zonke platform, he added.

Mahlasela said this integration enables the Vala Zonke War Room to maintain a holistic, national view of all reported potholes, ensuring a unified, no repetition of effort and efficient response across all levels of government.

“In addition to improved reporting systems, Sanral is advocating the use of nanotechnology to strengthen road surfaces and extend their lifespan at reduced road repair costs, offering a smarter, more sustainable approach to road maintenance,” he said.

To ensure that this innovation is implemented effectively, Mahlasela said Sanral has developed a standard named TRH24 and is providing training to road authorities across the country.

“This training will help standardise usage, promote proper application, and ensure long-term compliance with national road maintenance standards. Through technology, collaboration, and accountability, the Vala Zonke programme is helping to restore South Africa’s roads one pothole at a time.”

“Sanral has assisted the Construction Education and Training Authority (CETA) in developing training modules in the repair of potholes,” he said.

Mahlasela further noted that since the launch of the Vala Zonke War Room, road authorities across the country have been receiving training on newly developed digital applications designed to streamline pothole reporting and road maintenance.

He said this marks a major step toward creating a more coordinated and responsive system for managing road infrastructure at a national level.

“We are seeing a growing number of authorities begin to embrace the programme and use the secure apps provided to report back on issues logged by the public,” he said.