The borders between African countries may appear peaceful on maps, but the one between South Africa and Nigeria tells a different story. Both countries have been nurturing an intense rivalry that dates back to the 1990s, and it has seen its battlegrounds shift from football to music, politics, and every other industry that matters. From the Super Eagles vs. Bafana Bafana clashes to the Amapiano vs. Afrobeats debates, this country vs. country rivalry has been amplified—no thanks to the unbridled rise of social media— and has taken on new and often troubling forms.

Recently, this conflicted relationship reached a new level when 23-year-old Chidinma Adetshina, a Nigerian-South African, was bullied into withdrawing from the Miss South Africa beauty pageant due to her dual nationality. This incident sparked a fresh wave of online animosity, with netizens from both nations engaging in digital warfare that lasted days.

Early this morning (Thursday, August 22), the rivalry manifested in a disturbing trend where Nigerians and South Africans used ride-hailing platforms like Uber and Bolt to trick drivers into wasting their time and resources by sending them to false locations. What began as a prank reportedly initiated by South Africans quickly escalated as Nigerians leveraged their population strength on X to retaliate, igniting the #BoltforBolt trend, which had gathered over 44.3k posts by Thursday afternoon.

Social Media Reactions

X has been flooded with mixed reactions as the trend gained traction. Many influential figures voiced their disapproval of the petty and harmful behaviour, while others shockingly encouraged going band for band.

“Hope you South Africans & Nigerians realise that these Bolt drivers are people who are trying to make ends meet; Y’all are not only wasting their time plus money but also inconveniencing people who really need their services. This is not a game, it’s sickening,” remarked social commentator Daniel Regha.

Another user, known as Man of Letters, advised Nigerian Bolt drivers to avoid taking in-app calls, suggesting they ask customers to call directly before accepting rides, as a precaution against the ongoing pranks.

While most netizens were either flying their country’s flag or appealing for a white flag, others blamed Bolt for the systemic loophole that allowed such a trend to occur on a global platform in 2024. “Two wrongs don’t make a right. In all this, na Bolt I blame. Cos why should this menace be possible on a global system in 2024?” Ogbeni Opa questioned.

Bolt’s Reaction

In response to the situation, Bolt took decisive action by blocking several accounts involved in the fake ride-requesting trend. The company has also disabled intercountry ride requests between South Africa and Nigeria.

“Bolt is aware of the fake ride request incident between some individuals in Nigeria and South Africa,’’ said Yahaya Mohammed, Country Manager for Nigeria at Bolt. “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.“