Bolt has implemented restrictions on “inter-country” ride requests between Nigeria and South Africa due to a prank that escalated into a social media rivalry.
Users had been booking and canceling rides across the two nations, sending drivers on pointless trips.
Munyaradzi Chinyama, a Zimbabwean Bolt driver in Cape Town, reported receiving three fraudulent ride requests, which led to wasted fuel and time.
Bolt has since identified and blocked the accounts involved in the prank.
The company stated that while inter-country requests between Nigeria and South Africa are now restricted, requests between other countries will remain operational.
Chinyama also experienced harassment through the Bolt messaging system, with users sending derogatory messages.
The origins of this “Bolt war” are unclear, but it appears to stem from longstanding online tensions between social media users in Nigeria and South Africa.
One user claimed that a request from Nigeria was made to provoke South Africans, leading to a retaliatory response.
A Nigerian driver in Kano also reported receiving a ride request from an international number, only for the customer to cancel, resulting in wasted effort and fuel.
Many drivers have been affected, with rising fuel prices in Nigeria exacerbating the issue.
The prank has also led to increased ride prices and stranding passengers unable to afford transportation.
The rivalry between South Africans and Nigerians on social media often involves disputes over various issues, including pop culture and sports.
