The news:
- The ongoing online rivalry between South African and Nigerian netizens has taken a new turn in the form of the "Bolt for Bolt" trend, as both parties are currently engaged in yet another online battle.
- The trend is alleged to have begun as a form of typical online pettiness on the part of South Africans who pranked drivers in Nigeria by booking rides on Bolt and Uber and then cancelling them.
- In response to what many have described as an acute waste of resources when fuel prices are constantly increasing, some Nigerians are retaliating by also pranking drivers in South Africa.
Meanwhile, Yahaya Mohammed, Country Manager, Nigeria at the ride-hailing company, told Techpoint Africa, “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.”
Per the company, after a thorough investigation and enhanced security measures, it has addressed the issue by limiting inter-country ride requests and blocking the offenders from the Bolt app.
However, at the time of this report, the prank has escalated into an all-out battle that’s seeing citizens from both African nations booking and then cancelling rides on the ride-hailing app, consequently wasting drivers' time and causing them to lose money in real time.
Some Nigerian users on X have tagged the prank by South Africans as retaliation against Nigerians following the controversial withdrawal of Chidinma Adetshina, a 23-year-old Nigerian-South African law student from Soweto, from the Miss South Africa pageant. Following backlash from several South Africans over her nationality, Adetshina stepped down from the pageant, leading to increased tensions between South Africans and Nigerians online.
News of her withdrawing from the competition, citing concerns for her safety and well-being and those of her loved ones garnered widespread attention.
Her decision followed an investigation by South Africa’s Home Affairs Department indicating that the 23-year-old’s mother might have stolen an identity to obtain South African citizenship. In response to the development, South Africans allegedly began booking rides in Nigeria through the Bolt and Uber apps and cancelling them to waste the time of Nigerian drivers. This act was quickly reciprocated by Nigerians, who began doing the same in South Africa.
Some X users have raised concerns over its impact on drivers who rely on these rides for their livelihood, with some calling for a truce, recognising that the ongoing battle is harming innocent people.
An X user suggested that Bolt makes it impossible for people to book rides in a country where they’re not currently located. Another user noted that the new development has revealed a fundamental flaw in the app.
Let the best of tech news come to you
Give it a try, you can unsubscribe anytime. Privacy Policy.
The trend continues, with both sides engaging in a highly publicised and somewhat toxic online rivalry.
