IShowSpeed says incredible Africa trip ‘opened my eyes’ as streamer ends viral tour of continent
‘I’ve done so many incredible things in my life but this trip is different,’ said the American streamer as he concluded his tour of the continent
American streamer and YouTuber IShowSpeed, real name Darren Watkins Jr, is concluding a 28-day tour of Africa, aiming to challenge prevailing stereotypes of poverty and violence by showcasing the continent's rich cultural diversity.
During a stop in Botswana, he reflected on the profound impact of the journey, stating: "I’ve done so many incredible things in my life. But this trip is different. It opened my eyes. Africa is not what I thought."
The extensive journey, dubbed 'Speed Does Africa', encompassed 19 countries across southern, eastern, and North Africa, commencing in Angola in late December.
Highlights included attending the Africa Cup of Nations final in Morocco on 18 January, celebrating Senegal’s national football team victory, and marking both his 50 million YouTube subscriber milestone and 21st birthday in Nigeria.
Most recently, on Monday, he visited Ghana, where he sampled jollof rice, met a traditional ruler, and received a massage at a shea butter museum. "I am back home, there ain’t no better feeling," the content creator said upon arriving in Ghana, a country to which his ancestry traces. He is expected to arrive in Namibia on Tuesday, likely the tour’s final stop.
Throughout the tour, Watkins streamed live on YouTube, with videos often lasting up to nine hours. His content featured him sampling local dishes, learning traditional dances, and engaging in athletic challenges, frequently punctuated by his characteristic shouts of excitement. Large crowds of followers consistently swarmed him at his various destinations.
The tour has garnered significant attention, with dozens of African American internet users expressing support in widely shared videos, praising its role in changing perceptions of Africa.
Pape Seye, a 40-year-old resident of Dakar, Senegal, underscored the historical significance of Watkins’ visit to the House of Slaves on Gorée Island, a poignant symbol of the Atlantic slave trade.
"Americans, especially Black Americans, need to know that our histories are tied, that many of our ancestors might have been deported from Gorée," he stated.
However, the tour has not been without its critics. Beninese influencer Nelly Mbaa, known online as Afro Chronik, suggested that Watkins embodies a Western expectation for young Black men to be valued for spectacle over intellect.
She described his on-screen persona as "an absurd, exaggerated and grotesque character," adding, "If he were to abandon this persona – the constant grimacing, shouting and controversial remarks – his audience would likely disappear."
This critique comes against a backdrop of past controversies for IShowSpeed, whose brand is built on loud, exaggerated, and sometimes aggressive reactions. In 2022, he faced a ban from professional online gaming competitions following a sexist outburst against a female player and was briefly suspended from YouTube for displaying sexual content in a video game.
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