Himba village visited by IShowSpeed with 50 million fans

At Victoria Falls, he lies in the water right at the edge of the falls. In Botswana, he approaches a group of elephants on foot to within 30 meters and does a backflip. What stunt would he pull off in Namibia? These and similar questions were hotly debated in Namibia in the lead-up to the visit of US influencer Darren Watkins Jr.

With more than 50 million followers in tow via his virtual streaming channel, Watkins, better known as IShowSpeed, arrived in Namibia yesterday. It was his second attempt, after his team failed to obtain the necessary landing permission in time three weeks ago. He did not arrive at Hosea Kutako International Airport, but by private jet at Eros Airport on the southern outskirts of Windhoek.

His itinerary was packed. In a Himba people's village near Okahandja, he was made up as an unmarried Himba man ("The Wanted One"). Himba women applied the traditional thick skin cream of ghee and ochre powder to him and explained their customs (see IShowSpeed).

On a nearby San bush trail, he shot an antelope decoy with a bow and arrow. Afterward, with the help of the Bushmen, he started a fire using a friction stick (see IShowSpeed).

In Windhoek, he mingled with the crowd of Namibian fans on Independence Avenue. In Katutura, he ate Kapana ("Chat, Namibian beef slaps!" – seemingly a compliment) and got his hair cut at a barbershop. That evening, his jet took off again. Namibia was the last stop on his 28-day 'Speed does Africa' tour.

Promotional effect for Namibia likely to be limited

Darren Watkins Jr., aka IShowSpeed, attempts to start a fire on a San bush trail, using a friction stick instead of a lighter or matches. Photo: Screenshot of the IShowSpeed stream on YouTube

Not a single stunt (disappointingly?). Perhaps the wildest part of the itinerary was the return trip on the A1 from Okahandja to Windhoek. Darren Watkins Jr. showed speed by standing with his eyes closed on the open back of a bakkie, exposed to the airstream. You cannot see whether he was wearing a special harness (yoh?!).

He treated all the Namibians he met – Himba, San, Kapana vendors, barbers, and fans – with respect and without any embarrassing star attitude.

His questions and reactions revealed that he had not prepared. But that seems to be part of the concept behind his streams: immediate, spontaneous, surprising, and above all, speedy. His more than 50 million followers worldwide seem to love it.

So, in a single day, the Himba village, the San trail, the Kapana stand, and the barbershop, all had, in effect, 50 million visitors. For comparison, in 2024, Namibia as a whole recorded just under 1.26 million arrivals – spread over the entire year.

Nevertheless, the promotional effect for the country is likely to be limited. Most Speed fans cannot afford a trip to Namibia. The recording of the stream is still available, but the thrill for IShowSpeed fans lies in taking part live. And that's happening somewhere completely different tomorrow, and overmorrow, and...

Himba women apply their traditional thick skin cream made of ghee and ochre powder to IShowSpeed's body. Foto: Screenshot of the IShowSpeed stream on YouTube