How Cape Town stays ahead in the pothole repair race

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The City of Cape Town’s Urban Mobility Directorate has launched its ‘Fix It Before Winter’ campaign, urging residents to report potholes early to ensure swift repairs and safer roads.

While other SA cities struggle with pothole backlogs, Cape Town is leaning on community collaboration and rapid response systems to stay ahead of road damage.

Last year a known AI trickster published fake photos of potholes in Cape Town. Read more on that story here.

According to a statement from the City, residents across the metro report on average 1 400 potholes a month.

This allows the City’s Road Infrastructure Management Department to prioritise the most urgent cases before inclement weather worsens road conditions, the City said.

“We rely on residents to be our eyes on the ground, in particular as we prepare for the winter rains,” added the City’s Mayco Member for Urban Mobility, Councillor Rob Quintas.

“By reporting potholes as soon as they are spotted, we can act quickly to repair them before the weather worsens and causes further damage.”

How to report potholes in Cape Town:

The City also noted that water infrastructure issues, such as burst pipes, often contribute to road damage. In these cases, road reinstatement only occurs after the underlying service, like water or electricity, has been repaired.

“The City remains committed to working closely with all relevant departments to ensure that these reinstatements are completed soonest, and according to the required standards.”