Bolt Launches Rider Photo Verification in South Africa to Boost Safety and Strengthen User Trust

Riders are requested to take a selfie and add it to their Bolt profile. The feature is designed to take a photo on the spot, meaning that adding photos from the phone gallery won’t be allowed.

This is an extra safety precaution Bolt has introduced to avoid fraud and rider impersonation. Riders will be able to add their profile photo by selecting the menu in their Bolt app, tapping 'view profile', and using the edit button on their photo to add one.

Simo Kalajdzic, senior operations manager at Bolt South Africa, said: “South Africa’s ride-hailing industry operates in a unique environment where safety is always top of mind. Rider profile photo is more than a feature. It’s part of our commitment to building trust and making every ride feel safer for both drivers and riders.”

Preventing misidentification

Drivers will now more easily identify their passengers at pickup points, reducing uncertainty and helping to prevent misidentification, fraud, or unsafe interactions. The feature is intended solely as a safety tool. It benefits all drivers by providing an extra layer of reassurance before each trip, supporting better acceptance rates and overall driver engagement.

Rider profile photo is just the latest add-on to Bolt’s in-app safety toolkit that includes an SOS in-app emergency assist button, trip audio recording, trip sharing, trusted contacts, real-time route tracking, and ride check.

Women for Women category

Bolt also has the Women for Women category available in 12 cities across South Africa, including Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Durban.

To keep women drivers safe, first-time users of the category undergo mandatory rider verification, which involves verifying the rider's ID document, conducting a live selfie check, and matching the selfie with the document photo.

Only verified riders can request Women for Women trips, ensuring that women drivers are connected with trusted passengers. Once verified, a rider will not need to repeat the process for future trips.