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 on X from an unnamed friend currently in South Africa.
Just received this from a friend visiting South Africa pic.twitter.com/5DteFPnRrZ
— Kekius Maximus (@elonmusk) May 16, 2025
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.
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
X user Shudufhadzo.btcalso shared a video of working 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.
Your friend is talking shit.
— Shudufhadzo.btc (@ShudufhadzoRSA) May 16, 2025
Our Joburg is fine.
Here are some videos with traffic lights since you care so much.
I'm actually volunteering to drive around Joburg on live stream so that you can rest with the lies. pic.twitter.com/8WYKP1AZ8m
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.
@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
No credible reports support the claim of a R1000 loaf or the described hospital corruption at that scale.
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