How iShowSpeed became one of the most watched Americans in Africa — Live: Video
For generations, Africa’s connection to global icons came through music stages, political visits, or historic speeches.
Names like Michael Jackson, Muhammad Ali, Oprah Winfrey, and Barack Obama reached the continent through television screens, institutions, and carefully planned moments.
This time, it’s different.
Right now, one of the most visible Americans across Africa isn’t a politician, an athlete, or a pop star. It’s a YouTuber.
IShowSpeed, real name Darren Jason Watkins Jr. has become a constant presence on African timelines, phones, and conversations, not because of a concert tour or a state visit, but because he is livestreaming his way across the continent in real time.
Speed is one of the biggest digital creators in the world. He has more than 48 million subscribers on YouTube, nearly 44 million followers on Instagram, over 46 million on TikTok, and millions more across Facebook and Twitch. Altogether, his audience comfortably passes 100 million people worldwide.
Speed is currently in the middle of Speed Does Africa, a continent-wide livestream journey expected to span about 20 countries. From city streets to local hangouts, he streams everyday life as he encounters it unscripted, unfiltered, and live.
So far, his stops have included Angola, South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Morocco and Kenya. In many of these places, crowds have gathered within minutes of his arrival, local media have followed his movements, and livestream clips have spread rapidly online.
In a few countries, the attention has gone beyond social media. Tourism boards and government-linked institutions have publicly reacted to or engaged with conversations around his visit, a sign that what started as internet content is now registering at a national level.
More stops are still expected, including Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Egypt, Ivory Coast, and others.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
