by Sebastien GOULARD
American streamer Ishowspeed was granted Ghanaian citizenship following his tour of Africa. Influencers are now fully integrated into the communication strategies of certain states or regions seeking to raise their profile among a “young” audience.
Ishowspeed and His Videos Abroad
Ishowspeed is now an undisputed opinion leader with an audience of over 50 million followers. Born in 2005, the American content creator, whose real name is Darren Watkins Jr., first became known for livestreaming video games before moving into the production of more controversial content that generated significant buzz. Since 2024, he has been producing videos around the world and meeting his many fans.
His videos sometimes provide countries or cities with an opportunity to showcase themselves and reach a less traditional audience. During his brief stay in the Baltic states, each of the three countries (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) offered him €30,000 to ensure his visit went as smoothly as possible. While the authorities do not directly influence the content produced by the American streamer, they expect the videos published on his channels to highlight their destination.
In Peru, Ishowspeed met the Mayor of Lima and officially replaced him for a few hours. This strategy appears to be mutually beneficial: the streamer secures a large audience (which he can monetize) in the country visited, while for local authorities, beyond drawing attention to specific sites for tourism purposes, these visits project a youth-friendly image of political leaders—despite criticism from those who believe this type of communication undermines the dignity of political office.
Ishowspeed in Africa
After South America and Europe, in the final days of 2025, Ishowspeed embarked on a tour of Africa: a true marathon during which he visited twenty countries in twenty-eight days. The streamer took advantage of the Africa Cup of Nations, a sporting event broadcast worldwide, to meet young Africans.
As in his previous travels, he was welcomed with great ceremony by certain countries that saw his visit as an effective territorial marketing operation. Egypt authorized him to stream from inside the Great Pyramid of Giza. He thus “visited” major African tourism heavyweights such as Morocco, Kenya, South Africa, Botswana, and Ethiopia, but also countries less familiar to the general public, including Benin, Liberia, Angola, and Zambia.
Each visit provided an opportunity to break stereotypes and present an innovative and dynamic African society, potentially reshaping the image of these countries in the eyes of Ishowspeed’s followers, particularly in the United States. Each stop highlighted a tradition, a sport, or a dance.
For the states visited by the influencer, the tourism impact can be significant. However, a single misstep can disrupt the process, and Ishowspeed’s videos can also have negative consequences if a visit goes poorly. In Algeria, for instance, the country was portrayed in a mixed light: Ishowspeed had to be evacuated from a stadium following insults from certain supporters who refused to be filmed. In this case, however, the videos reflected a reality not always present in other, potentially more staged productions.
Spotlight on Ghana
Ghana chose to further capitalize on Ishowspeed’s African tour by distinguishing itself from the other countries he visited and granting the streamer Ghanaian nationality. In many respects, Ghana stands out from its West African neighbors in terms of democracy, living standards, and political stability. By doing so, Ghana has effectively made Ishowspeed—who has not yet commented on his new passport—an ambassador for the country on social media.
If the Ghanaian government hopes the streamer will embrace his new nationality, the country has in any case succeeded in generating positive media coverage, which could potentially encourage foreign visitors to travel to this African nation.
However, this strategy is not without risks. In Ghana, the decision taken by Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has sparked controversy, with several voices calling for greater transparency regarding the criteria used to grant nationality to the streamer. The move has been described as a “prerogative of the prince,” and paradoxically risks undermining Ghana’s reputation for good governance.
This decision comes at a time when Ghana has simultaneously tightened the conditions for obtaining citizenship for foreigners. Since 2016, Ghana had allowed foreign nationals with African ancestry to obtain Ghanaian citizenship. This measure was primarily intended for descendants of enslaved people affected by the transatlantic slave trade, but it met with limited success.
The decision to grant Ghanaian nationality to streamer Ishowspeed following his stay in the capital, Accra, increases the country’s exposure to an international audience and allows it to continue capitalizing on the momentum generated by the influencer. Paradoxically, however, the move may tarnish Ghana’s image of good governance.
