Ride-hailing giant Bolt has launched an aggressive crackdown on driver misconduct in South Africa, introducing stricter identity verification checks and zero-tolerance enforcement against driver profile sharing.
The company confirmed that drivers will now be subjected to identity verification checks multiple times a week, a significant escalation aimed at ensuring that only vetted and approved individuals are transporting passengers.
The move forms part of a broader safety overhaul that includes the immediate suspension of offending drivers, permanent bans for repeat violations, and the rollout of enhanced monitoring systems designed to detect irregular account behaviour, particularly within fleet operations.
This comes as The Star reported that 22‑year‑old Nigerian e‑hailing driver Isaac Satlat was murdered in Pretoria on February 11 while operating under another driver’s Bolt profile.
Satlat was hijacked and killed after responding to what police believe was a fake ride request, and Bolt later confirmed he was using a profile that did not belong to him.
In response, Bolt said it has accelerated its investigations into misconduct, strengthened internal audits, and intensified oversight of fleet partnerships often identified as high-risk environments for profile abuse.
The company has also doubled down on the use of in-vehicle dashcams, positioning them as a critical tool in both deterring misconduct and supporting post-incident investigations.
“Dashcams continue to play a key role in improving accountability. Across branded fleet-operated vehicles, dashcams form part of Bolt’s operational agreements with fleet owners. Bolt continues to advocate for wider adoption of this technology as both a deterrent and an investigative tool.”
Bolt emphasised that rider vigilance is a critical line of defence, with the platform equipped with built-in safety features including clear driver profiles, vehicle details, and an emergency button that allows passengers to summon immediate help if anything goes wrong during a trip.
“Riders are urged to verify that the driver’s photo, name and vehicle registration match the details displayed in the app before entering a vehicle. If there are any discrepancies, riders should cancel the trip and report it via the app by selecting the ‘driver was not the same’ option on the cancellation screen, or alternatively contact support directly through the app,” the company said.
Simo Kalajdzic, Senior Operations Manager at Bolt South Africa, said the company is taking a hardline stance against offenders.
“Profile sharing is a serious breach of our standards and a direct violation of the trust placed in us by riders and drivers. We are acting firmly and without hesitation. Any driver found sharing an account will be permanently suspended.”
He added that rebuilding trust is an ongoing process.
“We understand that trust must be earned every day. Removing bad actors and strengthening our systems is an ongoing priority. Safety is not a campaign, it is how we operate.”
Bolt said further safety enhancements are expected to be rolled out in South Africa in the coming months as the company continues to invest in platform integrity and user protection.
The Star
masabata.mkwananzi@inl.co.za
