Ride-hailing giant Bolt has reported significant financial losses following a widespread “order-a-ride” prank that escalated tensions between Nigerians and South Africans. The prank, born from a long-standing rivalry between the two nations, led Bolt to restrict cross-country ride requests, causing disruption in both markets.
The prank involved users from South Africa booking rides in Nigeria, only to cancel them at the last minute, wasting the drivers’ time and fuel. In response, Nigerians retaliated with a similar tactic, targeting drivers in South Africa. This back-and-forth resulted in Bolt blocking numerous accounts and enforcing stricter app usage restrictions between the two countries.
Yahaya Mohammed, Bolt’s Country Manager, revealed that the company has launched an investigation to assess the financial impact and is considering compensating affected drivers.
“We are currently analyzing the situation, including the kilometers wasted by drivers and the feasibility of compensation. A communication will be sent to drivers soon,” Mohammed stated.
He also mentioned that Bolt has taken steps to prevent further misuse of its platform by tracing and blocking IP addresses involved in the prank. “Going forward, we will enforce more restricted access, particularly for users in Nigeria and South Africa,” Mohammed added.
Bolt’s Communication Manager, Femi Adeyemo, acknowledged the financial toll the prank has taken on the company. “Any disruptions are taken seriously, and we are working diligently to minimize their impact on both our drivers and passengers,” Adeyemo said.
The prank, which started with a South African man booking a ride in Nigeria from the comfort of his home, quickly went viral, igniting a social media storm. Nigerian users, incensed by the prank, launched a counter-attack, ordering and canceling rides in South Africa to create traffic chaos.
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On X (formerly Twitter), users shared their experiences and plans for further retaliation. One user, @dipoaina1, declared, “We are going to create the highest traffic jam in history. Jozi and Cape Town will be worse than Lagos Monday morning traffic.”
Another user, @9jaDisciple, tweeted, “South Africa is officially under attack,” reflecting the intense nationalistic sentiments fueling the prank war.
The prank left many drivers frustrated and financially strained. A Cape Town-based driver lamented, “I drove almost 50km only to realize it was a fake request. That’s fuel wasted because of internet jokes.”
This incident is just the latest in a series of social media conflicts between Nigerians and South Africans, with the rivalry often spilling over into real-world consequences. Recently, Soweto-born Nigerian Chidimma Adetshina was forced to withdraw from Miss South Africa following online attacks about her heritage.
As Bolt grapples with the fallout from this cross-border prank war, the company is taking steps to ensure such disruptions are prevented in the future.
