TRENDING: E-war: Nigerians, South Africans Clash in #BoltForBolt War, Leaving Drivers Caught in Crossfire

Citizens of Nigeria and South Africa, two of Africa’s leading nations, have embroiled Bolt drivers in a digital petty feud.

The hashtag #BoltforBolt, which emerged in response to the Cold War, was trending with 33,000 mentions as of Thursday afternoon, August 22, 2024, while #SouthAfricans had amassed 84,000 mentions and counting.

The dispute began after former Miss South Africa contestant Chidinma Adetshina, who recently landed in Nigeria to compete in the Miss Universe Nigeria pageant, sparked a wave of online backlash.

South Africans reportedly initiated the petty feud by ordering and then cancelling rides of Nigerian Bolt and Uber drivers, leaving them stranded at pick-up locations. In retaliation, Nigerians mirrored the tactic, launching their own campaign on e-hailing apps to disrupt services in South Africa.

Viral clips of South Africans engaging in petty actions towards Nigerians have fueled further animosity, with Nigerians rallying on social media to leverage their strength in numbers.

However, there have been varying reactions on what the impact of this trend will have on Bolt and Uber drivers from both sides seeking to make a living daily/ Niarametrics compiled some of these reactions “Bolt for Bolt” challenge.

Reactions

Daniel Regha: Hope you South Africans & Nigerians realize 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.

Oiza: This bolt challenge that’s going on between Nigerians and South Africans is annoying because innocent bolt drivers are suffering for it. Imagine looking for your daily meal and some people are using it to play on Twitter.

Ebele: What you can do as a Nigerian in Nigeria is to report the accounts of the South Africans doing this en masse, tell your Uber friends & drivers to call/text before heading to pick up & face your government for putting us in the position where other jobless fools can do this to us.

@Irunnia: This game South Africans are playing with Uber will never stop until they fix that app. Nigerians are the last people you want to play this kind of game with. If you go low, they will always go lower and they will never stop!

@Divineofspring: This week, my advice to all Uber and Bolt drivers in Nigeria is: 1. When you get a booking, call the person who booked the ride and pay attention to their accent. 2. Ask them some questions using local terms and slang. 3. If possible, follow up with a direct call to South Africans

Mbah: South Africans think they’re petty they were not informed Nigerians Arise!!!! Bolt for Bolt

Adeyinka Adeife: Bolt and Ubers will be surprised at the large influx of traffic to their app today. They will think drivers are making sales. They won’t know it’s a result of an E-war between Naija and Southy.