US EditionIvory Coast: the Arrival of American Influencer Ishowspeed Gives Rise to a Real Effervescence
IShowSpeed’s 20-country livestream tour reaches millions, reshaping Africa’s image by showcasing urban life and culture beyond charity and wildlife stereotypes, experts say.
- On Dec. 29, Darren Jason Watkins Jr., known online as IShowSpeed, began a 20-country, 28-day livestream tour during which a man rushed and shoved him in Ivory Coast, prompting a brief tussle separated by his security.
- IShowSpeed framed the trip as a nonstop livestream experiment to showcase African cities beyond charity or wildlife-focused frames, with experts noting livestreams show unscripted everyday life and local history.
- In Nairobi, IShowSpeed crossed a major subscriber milestone while live, surpassing 48 million subscribers with peak concurrent viewership exceeding 240,000 and marking 50 million in Nigeria.
- Clips and reaction videos spread rapidly, producing a rapid perception reset across platforms as viewers saw city streets and stadium crowds updating African urban life assumptions.
- Yonaiel Tadiwos Belete highlighted over two months of planning, saying `What most people see in the final video is a few hours of high energy... What they don't see is two-plus months of planning, countless late nights, site visits, rehearsals, security briefings, cultural coordination, and alignment across multiple public and private sector stakeholders to make it happen,'” attributed to him, reflecting a broader trend of African influencers reshaping city images.
15 Articles
15 Articles
Coast Reporter
IShowSpeed celebrates 50 million YouTube subscribers while on tour in Africa
DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — The American streamer and YouTuber IShowSpeed is on the final leg of a 28-day tour of Africa aimed at showcasing the continent's cultural diversity, which is often overshadowed by images of poverty and violence.
Africa: Busting Clichés - IShowspeed and African Content Creators Go Beyond 'Safaris and Suffering'
IShowSpeed's livestreamed Africa tour adds to the work that African digital influencers have been doing in recent years to capture the continent beyond clichéd images of poverty and conflict.
Since the end of December, one of the most closely followed influencers on the planet, with more than 140 million subscribers on social networks, IShowSpeed travels the African continent. After Angola, Algeria, Morocco and Senegal, the American influencer set his cameras in Abidjan. He started his visit this afternoon by Yopougon, one of the most popular neighbourhoods in the Ivorian economic capital. Several hundred young people were waiting th…
American Youtuber iShowSpeed tours Akropong Akwapim
Famous American YouTuber iShowSpeed is in Ghana. His presence has generated excitement among his fans and the youth generally. On January 26, he paid a familiarisation visit to Akropong Akwapim in the Eastern Region. iShowSpeed was well received by the traditional authorities. He was accompanied by fellow Youtuber Wode Maya. Here are photos from the […]
'I’m back home; My mother is actually Ghanaian'- Ishowspeed reveals during his livestream in Ghana
American YouTube star and streamer IShowSpeed has sparked widespread online reaction after revealing during a livestream in Ghana that his mother is Ghanaian. The unexpected disclosure came amid his “Speed Does Africa” tour, adding a personal dimension to his visit as he continues to engage with fans, explore local culture and challenge stereotypes about the African continent. Source link The post ‘I’m back home; My mother is actually Ghanaian’-…
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