Rwanda has so far stood out as one of the most impactful destinations on iShowSpeed’s ongoing “Speed Does Africa” tour, judging by the massive online attention generated since the American internet sensation arrived in the country. Speed, whose real name is Darren Watkins Jr., has already toured several African nations including South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Angola, Eswatini, and Zambia before landing in Rwanda on Friday, January 9. ALSO READ: Speed in Rwanda: From an iconic gorilla trek to Amahoro Stadium, the global YouTuber continues his Rwanda tour On Saturday, he toured various locations across the country. With the exception of his iconic gorilla trekking experience at Volcanoes National Park in Kinigi, Musanze District, most of his activities were concentrated in Kigali. His Rwanda livestream has already gained more than 60,000 new subscribers and surpassed 4.4 million views on YouTube, making it the second most-watched stream of his Africa tour so far, behind only South Africa. Speed arrived in Rwanda late Friday night following his Zambia visit, which featured several chaotic and humorous moments that quickly trended across social media platforms. WATCH: “Look at a gorilla.” Streamer iShowSpeed captures a close encounter while trekking in #Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park. pic.twitter.com/UoOjH8753B — The New Times (Rwanda) (@NewTimesRwanda) January 10, 2026 During his time in Rwanda, he immersed himself in local culture and everyday public life, creating moments that resonated strongly with global audiences. His spontaneous reactions to Kigali’s organization and cleanliness, combined with high-energy interactions with fans, produced multiple viral clips shortly after his arrival from the gorilla trekking experience in Kinigi. One of the most widely shared moments showed Speed enthusiastically taking part in a traditional Rwandan dance at Amahoro Stadium. The scene blended his trademark high-energy personality with local cultural expression—an approach that has become a defining feature of the “Speed Does Africa” tour. He also visited BK Arena, Club Rafiki in Nyamirambo, and sampled local cuisine at Mu Marangi restaurant in the Biryogo Car-Free Zone, where he engaged fans through various interactive challenges. Rwanda’s reception and the viral success of Speed’s visit have further highlighted the country’s growing appeal as a cultural and tourism destination for global digital audiences. Tour performance across Africa Speed’s Africa tour has so far included multiple countries, with South Africa and Rwanda standing out with highest viewership and engagements. While exact figures for every stop vary, each stream has attracted millions of views, reflecting continent-wide interest in the 28-day tour and Speed’s strong connection with African audiences. For instance, his Angola livestream recorded 3.2 million views. His South Africa New Year stream reached 4.9 million views, while the shark diving stream in South Africa got 1 million views. In Johannesburg alone, he recorded 3.4 million views. His stream in Mozambique attracted 2.1 million views, Eswatini 2.5 million views, Botswana’s Okavango Delta 3.2 million views, and Gaborone, Botswana 2 million views. He also recorded 3.1 million views in Zimbabwe and 2.1 million views in Zambia, and today, he is streaming from Kenya. His ‘Speed Does Africa’ tour combines street interactions, cultural immersion, football-related content, and spontaneous humor, elements that consistently drive high engagement on his channel. With 12 countries left to visit in 16 days, expectations are high that more records could be broken as the tour continues. Speed’s content spans explosive gaming reactions, in-real-life (IRL) streams, travel, music, football commentary, and cultural immersion, offering a diverse mix of entertainment. With over 47 million YouTube subscribers and millions more followers across Instagram, TikTok, and other platforms, he has earned Streamer of the Year at the 2024 and 2025 Streamer Awards. Speed has drawn record-breaking live audiences, including over one million concurrent viewers in Indonesia, and has collaborated with stars like Cristiano Ronaldo.
