Fez — American content creator IShowSpeed, whose real name is Darren Jason Watkins Jr., has concluded a 28-day livestream tour across Africa that captured global attention and generated unprecedented digital engagement.
IShowSpeed’s month-long journey across Africa placed Morocco at the center of record-breaking online engagement, underscoring the country’s strong digital appeal.
Spanning nearly 20 countries between December 29, 2025, and January 27, 2026, the tour aimed to showcase Africa’s cultural diversity through real-time interaction with local communities. Among all destinations, Morocco recorded the highest viewership figures.
The tour began in Angola and crossed Southern, Eastern, and Northern Africa before ending in Namibia. Throughout the journey, IShowSpeed broadcast daily livestreams lasting several hours, sharing unscripted encounters, cultural experiences, and street-level interactions with audiences numbering in the millions.
A digital phenomenon across African cities
Over the course of one month, the streamer became a visible presence in several African capitals and major cities, often drawing large crowds in public spaces. His content blended sports challenges, cultural immersion, and everyday exploration. Highlights included racing a cheetah in South Africa, visiting a diamond mine in Botswana, dancing with the Maasai community in Kenya, and sampling local cuisine across multiple countries.
A recurring gesture that resonated with viewers was his decision to wear the national football jersey of each country he visited, a symbolic act that sparked strong engagement and helped local audiences connect with his broadcasts.
Morocco leads in views and engagement
Morocco stood out as the most-watched stop of the tour. One of the highest-performing broadcasts coincided with the January 18 Africa Cup of Nations final between Morocco and Senegal. The livestream of the match attracted approximately 15 million views on YouTube, ranking among the top ten most-viewed videos in IShowSpeed’s career.
Other countries also recorded strong numbers, including Ethiopia with 11 million views, Algeria and Kenya with more than 10 million each, Nigeria with 8.7 million, Senegal with 7.9 million, Egypt with 5.5 million, South Africa with 5.1 million, Ghana with 4.8 million, and Rwanda with 4.7 million.
Cultural immersion across Moroccan cities
During his stay in Morocco, IShowSpeed visited Casablanca, Rabat, and Marrakech. In Casablanca, he interacted with fans of Wydad AC, expressed his enthusiasm for football culture, and met Moroccan rapper ElGrande Toto. He was also seen wearing the Moroccan national team jersey while exploring the city and tasting couscous.
His visit included stops at the Hassan II Mosque and a traditional meal at Restaurant La Sqala before traveling aboard the high-speed Al Boraq train to Rabat for the tournament final. In Marrakech, he toured the medina and souks, purchased traditional crafts, and appeared in Jemaa el-Fnaa wearing a red embroidered Moroccan caftan. The scenes quickly circulated across social platforms.
Expanding influence and shifting perceptions
Digitally, the Africa tour significantly boosted IShowSpeed’s reach. His YouTube channel gained around four million new subscribers in one month, surpassing 50 million in total. He now counts approximately 47 million followers on TikTok and 45 million on Instagram. His livestreams averaged around 140,000 concurrent viewers.
During the tour, he reflected publicly on how the experience altered his perception of the continent, stating that Africa was “not what I imagined.” Many observers believe the livestream format helped counter persistent stereotypes by presenting African cities as dynamic, diverse, and modern.
