By Ezekiel David
Online taxi service Bolt has halted ride requests between South Africa and Nigeria due to a social media rivalry that caused a surge in fake reservations.
As travellers from both countries began to seek and then cancel trips in the other country, drivers faced chaos. Cape Town, Zimbabwean Bolt driver Munyaradzi Chinyama reported receiving three fake ride requests and wasting fuel, time, and money.
Bolt identified and blocked users involved, stating, ‘We understand the impact this situation has had on our driver-partners in Nigeria and South Africa.’
The restriction applies only between these two countries; inter-country requests elsewhere remain unaffected.
Chinyama also received insulting messages through Bolt’s messaging feature, including comments like ‘Mandela’s son.’
The exact origins of the so-called ‘Bolt war’ are unclear, but social media tensions between Nigeria and South Africa are longstanding. One user admitted to booking a prank ride in Nigeria as retaliation for perceived disrespect.
X user @jamalmoran observed in a post: ‘South Africans decided to wake up today and start ordering bolt rides in Nigeria to waste the Drivers time and Nigerians have been returning the favour…’
So South Africans decided to wake up today and start ordering bolt rides in Nigeria to waste the Drivers time and Nigerians have been returning the favour
Here are the most crazy onesA THREAD #nigerians #SouthAfrica #bolt pic.twitter.com/nXFNMKdTPT
— Jamal (@jamalmorgan_) August 22, 2024
How Nigerians Vs South Africans Online Bolt War Started: Bolt And Uber Suspends Service In South Africa.
Nigerians Even Ordered Over 40 Bolt And Uber Cars To a Street In Johannesburg All The Way From Nigeria… pic.twitter.com/9D5XJy7aWq
— Somto Okonkwo (@General_Somto) August 22, 2024
A similar hoax occurred to a Nigerian driver in Kano who received a phoney airport trip request from an international number. He mentioned that a lot of his coworkers had the same problem. A few people on social media supported the drivers, highlighting how hard it is for them to make a living. ‘Uber and Bolt drivers are just trying to make ends meet. They aren’t on Twitter trolling anyone,’ one X user stated.
Others called out the unfairness of the stunt, noting fuel prices in Nigeria, making the pranks especially expensive for drivers. In addition, the ‘Bolt war’ raised ride costs in both countries, making mobility unaffordable for many.
This rivalry mirrors tensions between the two societies, such as the Miss South Africa controversy involving xenophobic abuse against a half-Nigerian contestant, Chidimma Adetshina.
Banter over popstars Tyla and Arya Starr and national football teams have fueled the rivalry.
Bolt’s decision to restrict inter-country requests serves as a temporary measure, but the underlying tensions between the two countries remain. As the ‘Bolt war’ illustrates, the consequences of this rivalry can have a tangible impact on the lives of ordinary people, particularly those trying to make a living in the gig economy.
(Source: BBC, X)