MBABANE – Streamers, are you ready for part two?
Global livestreamer, IShowSpeed has revealed that there will definitely be a part two of his Africa tour.
IShowSpeed, born in Cincinnati, Ohio as Darren Jason Watkins Jr, is one of the most-followed influencers on the planet. The 21-year-old African American influencer has raced a cheetah, got to conquer his fears in Eswatini, leapt with Maasai warriors and drawn huge crowds in a month-long tour of Africa that has also busted cliches about the continent.
The YouTube and Twitch star’s tour, which started on December 29, has taken him to 20 countries, showing his 10s of millions of followers a different side of Africa as he visited a diamond mine in Botswana, discovered Ethiopia’s rich cuisine and attended the Africa Cup of Nations football final in Morocco.
He hit 50 million YouTube subscribers this month. Rolling Stone magazine named him the Most Influential Creator of 2025 and Forbes estimates his net worth at US$20 million.
Subscribers to his channel have soaked up his African tour, with some black Americans posting emotional videos of their own saying IShowSpeed had opened their eyes to a completely different vision of the continent, far from TV cliches of endless poverty and violence.
He has, however, been careful not to broach the subject of politics during his visits, especially in countries reputed to be autocratic.
Living up to his nickname ‘Speed’, he has applied the same formula as on other trips around the world, being filmed live by his teams as he dashes around at a frantic pace, alternating cultural discoveries and interactions with vendors or street artists with various antics.
During a recent broadcast, he teased what viewers can expect, saying: “Y’all boys better get ready cause this is it, I’m doing a lot of crazy stuff, bro. We are doing a lot of crazy stuff. I am not even gonna spoil it. We back streaming, man,” he said, that promise alone has fuelled massive online buzz.
While in the kingdom, the streamer visit was meticulously curated around Eswatini’s rich cultural heritage, vibrant lifestyle and adventure offerings. The kingdom has long been celebrated for its friendly people and the vibrant culture that defines the national identity.
*Full article available on Pressreader*
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