Bolt users from Nigeria and South Africa engaged in an order-a-ride prank trend on social media in a renewed rivalry between citizens of the two countries.
The issue that trended on the microblogging platform with hashtag #BoltforBolt disrupted businesses and led to frustration for users as well as drivers.
How it started
On Thursday, a trending video on X features a South African man, alongside others, mocking a Nigerian driver, Kotoro-Ola, after cancelling a ride he had ordered with him.
In addition to the video, several screenshots of South Africans ordering Bolt rides in Nigeria from their country, solely to stress and cause financial loss to Nigerian drivers followed.
“When I’m bored, I request in Nigeria, akere their brothers are disrespecting us,” a South African farmer, Nimrod Ernest captioned one screenshot of a fake Bolt order in a now-deleted post on X.
This development comes at a time when fuel price is on the rise in Nigeria, coupled with high food inflation.
https://twitter.com/abazwhyllzz/status/1826511931529740298?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1826511931529740298%7Ctwgr%5E2fc853f4e2aebd5ec92b4cf5d88dcae248d66f5c%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpublish.twitter.com%2F%3Furl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fabazwhyllzz%2Fstatus%2F1826511931529740298Nigerians retaliate
In response, Nigerians triggered a surge in Bolt rides in Cape Town and Johannesburg, leading to a shortage of available rides and high prices, leaving many South Africans stranded.
Some of the reactions from Nigerians compiled by Prudence Journal are:
A popular social commentator on X, Moris Monye, said, “So let me put it out there. South Africans pay to cancel bolt rides. For Nigerians, it’s free to cancel. Only one side will lose if people go head to head.”
@elcoweygetloco, while warning South Africans, wrote, “Hope they know Nigerians are jobless, they shouldn’t allow Nigerians play this game with them cuz Nigerians will really take it farrr”
Another user, Bayo Otedola, who tweets from @mister_ade5, wrote, “Nigerians don’t need to beg South Africans to stop this Bolt challenge they’ve started. With the population we have and our access to the internet, it will not be funny if Nigerians return this energy.”
Showing he had been busy winning the challenge for team Nigeria, another social media user, tweeting from @Oladapomikky1, said he had booked 15 Uber riders in South Africa.
“From my stats, I have successfully booked 15 Uber / Bolt drivers this morning within Johannesburg. South Africans Aura for Aura. Fellow Nigerians how many Unna don book this morning?” @Oladapomikky1 wrote.
Chidimma Adetshina’s ouster was a trigger
Some Nigerian users on X have speculated that the prank by South Africans was a form of retaliation against Nigerians following the contentious withdrawal of Chidinma Adetshina.
In July, tensions rose between South Africans and Nigerians on social media over a controversy involving Chidimma, a 23-year-old model with a Nigerian father and a South African mother of Mozambican descent.
Adetshina’s nationality became the subject of debate as she competed in the Miss South Africa beauty pageant. This led to an investigation by the country’s Home Affairs department, which revealed that Adetshina’s mother had committed identity fraud to obtain South African citizenship.
As a result, Adetshina withdrew from the South African beauty contest but was later invited to participate in a Miss Universe pageant in Nigeria, an offer she accepted.
Drivers expressed frustration
The drivers were pawns in this malicious game as they were sent on a wild goose chase to find passengers who weren’t even in the same country.
Munyaradzi Chinyama, a Zimbabwean Bolt driver based in Cape Town, said he received three ride requests before he realised they were not genuine. He said he wasted a lot of fuel, time and money.
Mr Chinyama further said that he had been inundated with insulting messages through the Bolt messaging feature that connects drivers with passengers.
He said he was called various names, including “Mandela’s son”.
A disgruntled Nigerian driver based in Kano said he received an order for an airport trip from an international number but the person didn’t show up.
“I tried calling and calling but they didn’t answer. Then they cancelled the trip,” he said.
“I got a request this morning, just like every other request, but when I got to the location, the person was not there,” Ocho Ubah, a Bolt driver in Lagos said.
“I suspected there was something fishy because the rider said Festac town and when I got there, he said Lekki. There is nowhere called Lekki in Festac town.”
Kingsley Ekwedike, a Bolt driver in Abuja, says he had cancelled over five ride requests before he realised what was happening.
“It was annoying because your driver’s score will drop once they cancel, which can lead to blocking from the app. One even told me he was in my testicles when I asked where he was,” Ekwedike said.
Some social media users rallied behind the drivers, saying they were just trying to make a living.
“Uber and Bolt drivers are just trying to make ends meet. They aren’t on twitter trolling anyone. They are literally trying to earn an honest living. Please leave them alone. And i’m talking to both sides,” one X user wrote.
A second person said: “The bolt challenge is paining me because it’s innocent and hardworking people on both sides that are suffering for the wickedness and thoughtlessness of other people. Really unfair.”
In Nigeria, fuel prices have rocketed in recent months. Many drivers would have wasted scarce fuel picking up non-existent customers.
The “Bolt-war” also reportedly caused prices to surge in both countries, leaving many people stranded as they couldn’t afford to pay for their rides.
https://twitter.com/boltapp/status/1826632527362093443?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1826632527362093443%7Ctwgr%5E25be95981f6750b76377b485a76e6d7951cbd243%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpublish.twitter.com%2F%3Furl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fboltapp%2Fstatus%2F1826632527362093443Bolt takes action
Meanwhile, Yahaya Mohammed, Country Manager, Nigeria at the ride-hailing company said, “Bolt is aware of the fake ride request incident between some individuals in Nigeria and South Africa.
“We have successfully taken measures to resolve the issue of fake ride requests affecting our driver-partners, particularly those operating in Nigeria and South Africa. The integrity and safety of our platform, both for driver-partners and riders, is our utmost priority.”
History of rivalry
From xenophobia to AFCON, South Africa and Nigeria, two of Africa’s largest economies, have a long history of tensions, particularly since the end of apartheid and the rise of democracy in South Africa.
Nigerians living in South Africa have often been targeted in xenophobic attacks, with over 116 Nigerians reportedly killed between February 2015 and February 2017, according to the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission.
In response, some Nigerians have retaliated by attacking South African-owned businesses in Nigeria, including major companies like MTN, Multichoice, Standard Bank, and Pick ‘n Pay.
These incidents frequently escalate into diplomatic disputes, such as the 2017 recall of Nigeria’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Kabiru Bala.
The rivalry between the two nations extends beyond politics and economics, spilling into cultural spheres like music and sports. For example, at this year’s Grammy Awards, South African pop star Tyla won the inaugural Best African Music Performance award over four Nigerian artists, sparking backlash.
Similarly, when the two countries faced off in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) semifinals in February, it ignited a wave of taunts and exchanges on social media.
Despite these tensions, the leaders of both nations, Presidents Cyril Ramaphosa and Bola Tinubu, met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York last year, pledging to foster constructive political and business collaboration moving forward.
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