South Africans are no strangers to bumpy rides, but in one Gauteng suburb, locals are steering straight into the problem by adopting a different outlook… and filling it with something powerful: community.
Johannesburg, South Africa (14 April 2025) – Potholes. We all complain about them. We hit them, dodge them, name them and some of us even swear at them. But in Bedfordview, residents have taken a wildly inspiring approach… they’re adopting them.
No, not like stray pets (although there are incredible humans doing this already all around South Africa).
When we say locals are adopting potholes, we mean they’re rolling up their sleeves, not rolling over. It’s all about residents stepping in to fix what’s broken (quite literally) and taking charge of the roads they travel every day.
And while potholes might seem like just another symptom of service delivery challenges, they’re also a symbol of something far greater. Years of declining infrastructure, worsened by wet weather, limited municipal budgets and overburdened systems, have left many neighbourhoods across South Africa quite literally falling apart.
But as the cracks in the system grow, so too does something else: the drive to make a difference.
Across the country, we’ve seen the rise of resident-driven organisations like Tidy Towns and Better Fourways, and now Better Bedfordview is accelerating its efforts to fix one pothole at a time.
Their message? “There is no pothole fairy coming to save our rims and keep us safe on the street.”
Since launching in 2022, the non-profit has repaired more than 847 potholes. Just this year, they’ve already fixed 95, with 38 more scheduled for repair and another 32 waiting on funding from local street groups.
“We urgently need donations from residents,” says chairperson Marina Constas.
“With all the rain, potholes are growing and multiplying. As much as we want to ensure that all our roads are safe and accessible, we simply don’t have the funds to fix them all right now. That’s why we’re asking the community to adopt a pothole or two today.”
Here’s how it works: Bedfordview locals are encouraged to identify a pothole on their road, measure it to calculate the repair cost (R1,000 per square metre), and make a donation to Better Bedfordview, who’ll get the team on the job.
It’s a simple concept with a massive impact. Fewer tyre blowouts. Safer school drop-offs. And most importantly, a neighbourhood that looks after itself… not because it has to, but because it can.
Better Bedfordview is more than just a pothole-fixing project. It’s an initiative that’s created 24 jobs for previously unemployed residents, helped restore public parks and pavements, and inspired neighbouring suburbs to launch their own versions… including Better Senderwood, Better Primrose, Better Fourways and more.
This story is a reminder that real change doesn’t always need to start from the top. Sometimes, it begins with a bucket of tar, a group of neighbours and a whole lot of heart. And if you’re reading this from anywhere else in the country, maybe it’s time to start your own “Better” movement. Let’s take inspiration from Bedfordview and build safer, cleaner, better neighbourhoods… one small project (or pothole) at a time.
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