“Also in SA”: Zim Woman Uses E-Hailing for the First Time Since Leaving Mzansi and Compares Prices

• Shawty zw, a South Africa-based Zimbabwean woman, filmed herself navigating ride-hailing apps on a trip back to Zimbabwe
• She pulled up the Bolt app and found the fare was four times more expensive than a combi taxi would cost
• South Africans and Zimbabweans flooded the comments with reactions about e-hailing costs and dark skin colourism

A South Africa-based Zimbabwean content creator sparked a lively online conversation after sharing her experience using e-hailing services in Harare on 28 July 2026.

Known online as Shawty zw, she filmed herself at home preparing to head out to a local mall and deciding to use Bolt rather than risk an unfamiliar public transport route. She explained on camera:

"I haven't used it here in Zimbabwe yet, so I just need to figure it out."

Holding her phone up to the camera, she showed her Bolt app quoting a four-dollar fare for her trip, nine minutes away from Greenfield. Earlier in the day, the same trip had been listed at three dollars, but prices had crept up by the time she was ready to leave.

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The comparison that got people talking was her breakdown of what a combi would have cost. A combi, Zimbabwe's popular shared minibus taxi, would set her back just one dollar for the same journey, roughly R16. The Bolt fare was sitting at R64 by comparison, four times the price. She said while doing the quick mental conversion live on camera.

"I have to use four dollars."

She made clear she was not opposed to using combis but simply had not yet figured out the routes since returning to Zimbabwe.

View the Facebook video below:

Comments Section Divided

The video drew a range of responses, though many viewers also commented on her appearance rather than the transport debate, which prompted her to respond directly to the comments on her page.

Shawty zw replied:

"What's wrong with being dark? You all have colourism yooooh... heal."

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Kusa Kwelanga Mthunzi backed her up, writing:

"That's how it is also in SA I think. It's normally x5 the taxi fare. BTW your natural skin is beautiful."

Sifiso Rhoba King-Rhoba welcomed her back warmly:

"Thanks God you are still alive and healthy, welcome back Queen of the Soil."

Allen Kudzy Madya offered a local correction:

"Why do you say Uber? Rather say it's Bolt, Tap n Go or Indrive, because people will think we have Uber in Zim whereas we do not."

More Briefly News Stories on Zimbabwe

• A British woman shared her experience of living in Zimbabwe for a year, highlighting the unexpected lessons, cultural differences and moments that shaped her time in the country.
• A British woman living in Harare, Zimbabwe, shared her experience visiting a local market, giving viewers a glimpse into everyday life and the cultural moments she encountered.
• A South African visitor praised Gweru in Zimbabwe for its clean streets and highlighted the presence of familiar South African brands, impressing viewers with his positive observations of the city.

Source: Briefly News