Cynthia Thanda

At sunrise, a thin fog rises from the Okavango Delta, accompanied by a golden hue formed by the sun rays kissing the chill air as a mokoro glides silently between papyrus reeds, careful not to awaken the sleeping nature.

Somewhere in the distance, an elephant calls, and a giraffe or zebra will answer with an attitude. However, this time, iShowSpeed, an American YouTuber, answered with immediate astonishment as he stepped into Maun on 05^th January 2025, and for many of his young fans, it was their first glimpse of the Okavango Delta through a safari livestream and became a part of the experience, instead of through documentaries edited to suit a certain narrative.

Using iShowSpeed’s Africa Tour, particularly the Botswana visit, as a lens, this article explores how global audiences encounter Africa’s natural heritage and what is lost when information is consumed in viral clips rather than experienced and understood.

The soothing sound of nature and the bubbly animals had iShowSpeed doing backflips in front of elephants, racing giraffes, chasing ostriches and zebras, while the hippos looked at him as if he was Moto Moto, a character from the Lion King movie, and he was basking in their presence.

“This is amazing, chat. This is honestly one of my best experiences ever. It’s peaceful. Even though chat, you can get eaten at any moment, it’s peaceful,” he said during the stream.

As the Okavango stream reached an end, the audience at least caught the glow on Speed’s face as he enjoyed a burger. As the stream ended, the Okavango continued to sleep smoothly, awaiting its next visitor.

The busy city of Gaborone came more alive when Speed landed at Sir Seretse Khama International Airport on 06^th January 2025, after his trip to the Okavango Delta. Loud, happy screams from the locals covered the entire city.

The quiet, reserved Batswana lit up with everlasting excitement, hugs were passed, love was shared, and smiles were the words of the day. He was welcomed with a welcome message conveyed using diamonds that sparkled the beauty of Botswana and the pride of a nation.

His humbleness, which was shown by him shaking hands with the diamond mining employees, was a depiction of a true child of the soil.

Moreover, handshake greetings are one of the most fundamental teachings that Batswana children are subjected to during their upbringing, so it was heartwarming that he became part of that culture. A cultural dance by Mafitlhakgosi introduced him to the rich traditional dances of Botswana.

The African Traditional Religion churches, popularly known as dikereke tsa chukuchuku, did not lurk behind as they took turns dancing in circles in their long attire, singing songs and showing how they worship God in the African style.

The bodybuilders displayed that there is no need for a gym membership as they exhibited how they use brake discs to lift weights.

Another breathtaking moment was seeing Speed riding a donkey cart as people waved and cheered for him. In addition, a menu full of Botswana traditional delicacies was served: pounded meat (seswaa) with millet (Mabele).

As the day moved to an end, Speed showed us the Three Dikgosi Monument – one of the most important historical representations of Botswana. He even did a fun race with our amazing Gold medalist, Letsile Tebogo.

The stream was an interesting watch and showed the humbleness and respect Botswana reserves for visitors.

HIGHLIGHTS OF HIS AFRICA TOUR SO FAR

As his first country to visit, Angola came with guns blazing to show Speed love, and it was beautiful to watch the love and energy he received. The crowds teased him with their athleticism and oozed joy when he participated.

The songs and dances shown by the Angola tribe, the dozens of children playing ball with the streamer, creating a noisy, fun atmosphere was definitely the right energy to set motion for his tour, and as he travelled to South Africa during the New Year, where he celebrated with the locals, the ball had been kicked high.

During his South African stream, he highlighted the vibrant and diverse culture, even becoming a dancer in Johannesburg with a Zulu attire while the crowd clapped and chanted. One of his best moments was the spinning/drifting he did.

South Africans really came through with the aerobics fitness activity that had Speed panting while the viewers joined in with joyful laughter, and the amazing dance moves he learned will definitely make him a choreographer once he gets home.

The fresh breeze of Mozambique could be felt through his stream there. His shocked face when the locals did a human jump rope was a funny sight. The scenery, the friendly face of the people in Mozambique and the traditional games they played with him were a good vibe check that had many wanting to participate.

The Kingdom of Eswatini represented African heritage and tradition very well. Speed was turned into an Eswatini warrior, dressed in their traditional attire and fetching water, then holding it on his head and walking barefoot.

This reminded me of my home village and my grandmother’s teachings. Even I forgot he is American and smiled at the stream and said, ‘Welcome to Africa’.

Nevertheless, he met the Prince and Princess, tasted the traditional food, and couldn’t stop saying how delicious it was.

When asked how he was finding his Africa Tour by one of his team members, he mentioned that he finds Africa amazing and a new life experience for him.

“It literally feels like I’m in a movie. It feels like it’s real. It feels like we’re in a movie, don’t it? Like we’re not, we don’t have anything. We’re in the middle of nowhere. It doesn’t feel like it’s real.”

This tour has been an eye-opener for the global community as many people expressed genuine surprise at what Africa is, and to us, Africans, it is an amazing journey to show the world who we are, to remember our history, our culture and our Pan-Africanism. As for Speed, the tour has him reflecting on himself and connecting with the motherland.

“I’m saying I did a lot of cool in my life, but this is like refreshing for me. Like, everything is cool to me. Everything is just like it’s such a new experience, and it’s so fun for me. So this trip has really opened up my eyes, man.”

It is evident through his streams that Speed is enjoying himself in Africa, and in all the countries he has visited, the reactions have been positive and warm, a true representation of the African communities.

As he embarks on his next trip, the audience continues its excitement in anticipation of learning more about each country.