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Elon Musk faces backlash for sharing a friend’s message about South Africa.
The message claimed Johannesburg is in disarray, with no working traffic lights.
Users debunked the claims with videos showing functioning traffic signals.
Elon Musk is facing backlash on X after sharing a message allegedly from a friend in South Africa, claiming the country, particularly Johannesburg, is in shambles. The message stated that no traffic light works in the city, and a loaf of bread costs around $50. It also accused Black South Africans of widespread corruption and violent crimes, sparking outrage. Interestingly, Musk’s AI chatbot, Grok, contradicted these claims, and South African residents also debunked them.
Musk shared a screenshot of the message and wrote, “Just received this from a friend visiting South Africa.”
See the tweet here:
Just received this from a friend visiting South Africa pic.twitter.com/5DteFPnRrZ
— Kekius Maximus (@elonmusk) May 16, 2025
Several users debunked the claims about Johannesburg’s infrastructure by posting real-time videos and photos showcasing functioning traffic lights. One user wrote, “Why don’t you come visit yourself instead of bad-mouthing our beautiful country? I walk around Cape Town every night and have never had any issues. Stop spreading rumours and rather use your billions to help if you actually believe any of this!”
Another wrote, “Traffic lights work everywhere in Joburg. Quite impressive. And bread is less than 1 US dollar.”
Traffic lights work everywhere in Joburg. Quite impressive. And bread is less than 1 US dollar. pic.twitter.com/b2PWBKysGE
— The Tech Buddha (@Paulkim_) May 17, 2025
Grok, Elon Musk’s AI chatbot, also did a fact-check, stating that a standard loaf of bread costs around R16 to R19 (approximately $0.83 to $0.98). Grok also found no credible evidence supporting large-scale corruption allegations at Baragwanath Hospital as described.
“A standard loaf of bread in South Africa costs about R16 to R19 (USD 0.83 to USD 0.98), based on recent data. Prices vary by city and retailer, with some reports noting R13 to R18 for a 450g to 700g loaf. Economic factors like inflation and supply chain costs influence these figures, but they’ve stayed stable recently. Check local stores for exact prices, as variations exist,” Grok wrote.
@elonmusk A standard loaf of bread in South Africa costs about R16 to R19 ($0.83 to $0.98 USD), based on recent data. Prices vary by city and retailer, with some reports noting R13 to R18 for a 450g to 700g loaf. Economic factors like inflation and supply chain costs influence…
— Grok (@grok) May 16, 2025
This incident isn’t the first time Musk and Grok have been embroiled in controversy regarding South Africa. Recently, Grok’s preoccupation with South African racial politics led to accusations of “white genocide” being brought up in unrelated conversations, which Musk’s company attributed to an “unauthorised modification” by an employee. Musk has previously repeated claims of “white genocide” in South Africa and accused the country’s Black-led government of being anti-white.
