This week, the digital world and the reality of Accra collided as a 21-year-old Black American iShowSpeed turned Ghana into his personal stage.
Darren Watkins Jr, more popularly known as the online streamer iShowSpeed, embarked on a tour of several African countries, with Ghana on the itinerary.
Watkins, who has more than 50 million YouTube subscribers and 47 million on TikTok, was already making waves when he touched down in Ghana in the evening.
Straight from the airport, some Ghanaians on four-wheelers accompanied him to his hotel. The next day, he would spend the day visiting and live-streaming different areas of the country and the capital city.
“I am back home, there ain’t no better feeling,” he said during his livestream.
For many, his presence was a moment of national pride, a validation that Ghana, too, was on the world’s stage.
Yet beneath the celebratory fervor and the gleam of international attention, a more complex narrative unfolds.
iShowSpeed’s visit, which undeniably put a spotlight on Ghana’s vibrant culture and warm hospitality, inadvertently illuminated a perennial struggle: the nation’s eagerness to impress outsiders, sometimes at the expense of confronting its own deeply rooted internal challenges.
A Spectacle of Symbols
Undoubtedly, iShowSpeed’s itinerary was a masterclass in “Brand Ghana.”
Within forty-eight hours, the streamer was whisked through a curated gauntlet of heritage and luxury.
His trip took him to the Eastern Region of the country, where he was draped in traditional Kente and bestowed the Akan name Barima Kofi Akuffo, a symbolic adoption into the local lineage.
While in the region, he visited the Asenema Waterfalls, where he received a full-body massage and got a taste of the local Mango fruit.
The young streamer received further special treatment as he travelled via a private helicopter flight on his way back to Accra.
At the time, the helicopter ride became the most tracked flight in the world on Flightradar24. The app revealed there were over 3,000 people monitoring the flight.
Back in the capital, he visited the Bukom Boxing Arena, a popular boxing hub in Accra, where he engaged in several activities, including partaking in an exhibition.
One of the highlights was iShowSpeed performing his famous backflip on top of the Black Star Gate at Independence Square.
To the government and the Ghana Tourism Authority, this is a victory. In an era where digital footprints translate to tourism dollars, having one of the world’s most-followed creators declare his “love for Ghana” is a marketing coup that money can’t buy.
@ghonetv IShowSpeed pulls off a daring flip on the Black Star monument at Independence Square… #GHOneNews #EIBNetwork #GHOneTV #NewsAlert ♬ original sound – GHOne TV
The Mirror of the “Guest-First” Economy
However, critics argue that the resources and energy poured into these “homecomings” highlight a jarring disconnect.
While the state-provided helicopters flew Watkins over the city’s traffic-choked roads, those on the ground faced the daily grind and challenges of a country with long-standing problems.
Commuters have been dealing with a broken public transportation system over the past week, with ordinary citizens struggling to get “trotros” and other public vehicles home from their workplaces.
Meanwhile, Watkins was provided with police escorts to his various destinations. Drivers stuck in gridlock were begrudgingly forced to move aside and make room for the 21-year-old’s convoy.
His presence at locations such as the Black Star Square required National Security, which provided a heavy security detail for his protection.
These kinds of arrangements are normally reserved for foreign political dignitaries.
Meanwhile, activists online were highlighting the persistent issue of “galamsey” (illegal gold mining), especially as gold prices rose to a record high.
Posts focused on the dangers that illegal mining was posing to the water supply in various communities.
Locally, issues such as the assault of a journalist by the military in the Walewale area (North East Region) weren’t as amplified.
The latest incident appears to be a recurring theme with past abuses of local community members occurring in early 2025.
Most of the country’s issues were muted as Ghanaians online were transfixed with iShowSpeed and his tour.
The Cost of Performance
There was a spectacle at Independence Square, which featured a “supercar extravaganza” and high-end drifting, a display of wealth and luxury that stands in stark contrast to the rising cost of living that has spurred protests in recent years.
It is a paradox of the “Year of Return” legacy: a country that has become world-class at hosting the world, while its own citizens struggle with water supply issues, a healthcare system in need of resuscitation, and a growing public transportation issue.
As a final flourish to the country’s state-sponsored charm offensive, the government announced that it would be issuing Watkins a Ghanaian passport–a document that some diaspora struggle for months and years to acquire.
In the end, iShowSpeed’s visit could boost Ghana’s international image and attract more tourism dollars, which could in turn help fix some of those issues.
But his visit also shows much of the country constantly lays out the red carpet for foreign visitors while persistent problems continue to be ignored.
Simply put: The world is invited to see the best of us, while the people are often left to navigate the worst of it.
