Elon Musk
sparked backlash online after sharing a message from a friend claiming that every traffic light in Johannesburg, South Africa is broken and a loaf of bread costs $50—claims that were quickly debunked by X AI Bot Grok and
South African
social media
users.
On Friday, Musk
reposted
A screenshot shared via X from an anonymous friend who is presently in South Africa.
The message painted a dire and racially charged picture of Johannesburg and broader South African society, alleging extreme infrastructure collapse, rampant government corruption, and graphic violence attributed to Black residents.
The note described Johannesburg as having “not one” working traffic light and claimed a loaf of bread costs R1000 (~$50), citing corruption at Baragwanath Hospital as an example.
Shortly after Musk’s tweet, users from Johannesburg and surrounding areas began posting real-time photos and videos to debunk the claims.
X user The Tech Buddha posted a video of a Johannesburg intersection with visibly functioning traffic lights.
The X user Shudufhadzo.btcalso posted a video showing functional traffic lights in Johannesburg.
“I’m actually volunteering to drive around Joburg on live stream so that you can rest with the lies,” they captioned the image.
Additionally, Grok, Musk’s AI Bot, fact-checked his claimed after it was prompted by a user. “A standard loaf of bread in South Africa costs about R16 to R19 ($0.83 to $0.98 USD),” it wrote.
There are no verifiable reports supporting the assertion about a R1000 loaf or the alleged large-scale hospital corruption.
