Bolt halts “inter-country” rides after Nigeria-South Africa row

“We understand the impact this situation has had on our driver-partners in Nigeria and South Africa,” it said in a statement.

It said inter-country requests would still work between other countries.

Mr Chinyama told the BBC he had been inundated with insulting messages through the Bolt messaging feature that connects drivers with passengers.

He said he was called various names, including “Mandela’s son”.

It is unclear how this “Bolt war” started but social media users in sub-Saharan Africa’s two biggest economies have a long history of trolling each other.

“When I’m bored, I request [Bolt] in Nigeria, akere their brothers are disrespecting us,” one user said on X on Tuesday. This seems to have set off the chain of events and Nigerians swiftly retaliated.

A disgruntled Nigerian driver based in Kano told the BBC he received an order for an airport trip from an international number but the person didn’t show up.

“I tried calling and calling but they didn’t answer. Then they cancelled the trip,” he said.

He said he wasn’t the only victim. Many of his colleagues faced similar issues.

Some social media users rallied behind the drivers, saying they were just trying to make a living.