Press release -
The Discovery Pothole Patrol formalises its Academy to create jobs and drive sustainable change
Johannesburg, 28 February 2024: Discovery is proud to announce the official launch of the Discovery Pothole Patrol Academy in partnership with Avis Southern Africa.
Following a successful pilot in 2023 with 18 learners, the Academy is now accredited by the Insurance Sector Education and Training Authority (INSETA) to offer a 12-month practical skills training programme providing an NQF Level 3 qualification. In its first official year, which kicked off on 1 February 2024, the Academy is providing classroom and on-the job-training to 24 learners through EduWize, an accredited learnership and skills development provider.
Participants are men and women aged 22 to 34 from previously disadvantaged communities and will obtain a National Certificate in Roadworks Construction upon completion. The aim of the programme is to equip participants with road construction skills and the confidence to start their own business one day.
Kgodiso Mokonyane, Head of Strategy and Value Added & Ancillary Products at Discovery Insure elaborates, “We want to sustainably uplift the academy’s learners so that once they complete the 12-month programme, they not only know how to repair potholes and what to do in a road construction environment but are equipped to start their own business. It is exciting to see that one of the people who was trained under the Discovery Pothole Patrol has started his own business in KwaZulu-Natal and created employment opportunities through his company.”
Image: Kgodiso Mokonyane, Head of Strategy and Value Added & Ancillary Products at Discovery Insure.
“This proves that being part of the Pothole Patrol Academy can be a life-changing experience. It’s not only about getting an NQF-level qualification – it’s about making a real and lasting impact in our society,” she adds.
Discovery Insure and Avis believe the Discovery Pothole Patrol Academy will generate value long after participants graduate from the programme, a key attribute of both companies’ Corporate Social Investment initiatives.
“As a mobility business, with thousands of vehicles on the road, we have an equal responsibility of ensuring that we advocate for road safety in our communities. Therefore, being part of the Discovery Pothole Patrol initiative ensures that we carry out this responsibility,” says Litha Nkombisa – Chief Sales Officer at Avis Southern Africa.
The establishment of the Academy speaks to the impact of Pothole Patrol, driven by Discovery and Avis with support from the City of Johannesburg, with over 200,000 potholes repaired on major Johannesburg roads since launching in 2021. The initiative’s initial target was to repair 1,000 potholes a week – which it has exceeded this by 25%.
Image: Pothole Patrol employees in front of a Pothole Patrol van.
Pothole Patrol reflects Discovery Insure’s vision of creating a nation of safer drivers and roads by assisting with the City’s pothole repair backlog. This is enabled by a combination of AI technology used by the pothole patrollers to map and detect potholes and an app for the public to report potholes. Using geolocation data, the app allows Johannesburg residents to report the exact location of a pothole to the Discovery Pothole Patrol, which also helps repair some of the reported potholes that the Johannesburg Roads Agency can’t timeously attend to.
Anybody can report a pothole in Johannesburg by simply downloading the free Discovery Pothole Patrol mobile app (available for iOS and Android), register, and then upload a picture or capture their location.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
The scope of the Discovery Pothole Patrol is to repair potholes measuring a maximum size of 1m by 1m. Anything bigger than this, or deeper than 3cm, is referred to as a reinstatement.
Reinstatements, road excavations, deep trenches or cracks are caused by entities and other service providers, either repairing or installing their services, and are not classified as potholes. The Discovery Pothole Patrol escalates reinstatements to the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA).
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About Pothole Patrol
The Discovery Pothole Patrol is a cross-sector partnership between, Discovery Insure and Avis, Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) and the City of Johannesburg. Initially launched in May 2021, this cross-sector partnership aims to address the issue of potholes in the City of Johannesburg. With the joint capabilities of Discovery Insure and Avis, Discovery Pothole Patrol identifies and repairs potholes on major roads throughout Johannesburg, in a unique data driven initiative designed to make roads safer for all residents.
About Discovery
Discovery Limited is a South African-founded financial services organisation that operates in the healthcare, life assurance, short-term insurance, banking, savings and investment and wellness markets. Since inception in 1992, Discovery has been guided by a clear core purpose – to make people healthier and to enhance and protect their lives. This has manifested in its globally recognised Vitality Shared-Value insurance model, active in 40 markets, impacting 40 million lives. The model is exported and scaled through the Global Vitality Network, an alliance of some of the largest insurers across key markets including AIA (Asia), Ping An (China), Generali (Europe), Sumitomo (Japan), John Hancock (US), Manulife (Canada) and Vitality Life & Health (UK, wholly owned). Discovery trades on the Johannesburg Securities Exchange as DSY. Follow us on Twitter @Discovery_SA
About Avis Southern Africa
Avis Car Rental was established in 1967 under Zeda Car Rental and Tours (Pty) Ltd, with a fleet of just three cars. In 1969, the Avis Rent a Car name and brand was officially launched in South Africa. Today, Avis Southern Africa is South Africa’s leading car rental company, with over 100 outlets and more than 20 000 vehicles within Southern Africa. The Avis brand promise of “We try Harder” has always ensured that the business is less about vehicles and more about people, our customers, and employees. Avis is at the forefront of mobility technology, offering trusted mobility solutions including the rental of cars, luxury cars, vans, chauffeur-driven transfer services and vehicle sales. The company has through the years won several awards, including the consumer-voted, Sunday Times Top Brands Survey Awards for the past 16 consecutive years. Avis Southern Africa remains one of the largest ABG licensees outside of the United States of America. For more information, visit avis.co.za
