IShowSpeed’s rocky stop in Algeria on Africa tour goes viral

American livestreamer IShowSpeed (Darren Jason Watkins Jr) saw his month-long Africa tour go viral on Saturday after an altercation with football fans in Algeria, with clips of the confrontation spreading rapidly across social media.

Speed, who has more than 30 million subscribers on YouTube, announced a 28-day trip across Africa spanning around 20 countries, with stops in South Africa, Kenya, Egypt, Algeria, Rwanda, Ethiopia and Morocco.

 pic.twitter.com/iBWD7cBarq

— FearBuck (@FearedBuck) December 21, 2025

For nearly three weeks, the tour ran smoothly as Speed documented daily life, food and culture across multiple countries, drawing massive crowds wherever he went.

Many online applauded Speed for showcasing a continent often misrepresented in global media.

In Egypt, the streamer explored Cairo in a traditional galabiya and livestreamed from the Pyramids of Giza, a broadcast he claims was the first of its kind.

In Algeria, the livestream remained upbeat at first, showing Speed dancing, tasting local food and engaging with locals, before things took a turn for the worse at a football game.

When Speed arrived at the Nelson Mandela Stadium for a match between MC Alger and USM Alger, he was met with a barrage of water bottles and other objects thrown from the stands.

During the livestream, Speed appeared visibly confused by the crowd’s reaction before leaving the stadium and ending the stream without explanation.

The reason behind the crowd's reaction has yet to be confirmed. Some people online attributed it to football fans not wanting to be filmed, while others blamed "hooligan-style behaviour" on ultras. 

IShowSpeed had to leave the stadium in Algeria after fans began throwing water bottles at him and his team pic.twitter.com/kmIH3f7icS

— FearBuck (@FearedBuck) January 17, 2026

"I love that he did this," one social media user said in response to a video of Speed paying a Kenyan shopkeeper four times the price for a piece of traditional clothing.

"It’s a pet peeve of mine when rich westerners go to global south countries and haggle with locals and see it as a big win. I don’t know how they don’t recognise their economic position and feel ashamed of themselves. I’ve really enjoyed watching Speed’s travels."

Another social media user on X replied to a clip of Speed watching a performance at the Shaolin Temple in Zambia, saying: "IShowSpeed is single handedly educating us on things we thought weren’t even possible in Africa." 

IShowSpeed decided to show the beauty of Africa by highlighting Kenya from the sky, realizing Africa doesn’t look how people online describe it 😳🚁

“Everybody keeps summing it up… but look at this city. This is beautiful. Africa is so beautiful man” pic.twitter.com/DgmNbDT9lQ

— . (@infernaclips) January 11, 2026

One of the tour’s viral moments came in Botswana, where Speed attempted to buy a diamond but was told the stones are sold through western buyers under long-standing supply agreements.

"Speed exposing global imperialism and exploitation just by traveling and genuinely asking questions with no bias is hilarious," one social media user posted on X.

American rapper Vic Mensa joined in the applause for Speed following this moment, saying that, in addition to the streamer showing youth that the African continent was more than just "baboons and mudhuts", he was showcasing the impact of colonialism. 

"These kids are going to see the truth," Mensa said in a video he posted on Instagram. "Just like they saw Gaza through TikTok, now they're seeing Africa in all its glory." 

Speed has drawn praise from audiences across the Middle East over the last couple of years for repeatedly voicing support for Palestine.

In addition to visiting the pyramids in Egypt, Speed had several memorable moments, including trying the dish koshari and receiving a jacket from a young Egyptian boy who heard the streamer say he was cold while paragliding that day. 

IShowSpeed tries the best traditional Egyptian dish "Koshary" for the first time and was impressed so he did a backflip 😭🇪🇬 pic.twitter.com/zbIS1FPnaj

— Speedy Updates (@SpeedUpdates1) January 15, 2026

In Algeria, the livestream stayed upbeat at first, with clips circulating of Speed speaking with locals on the street, dancing in a kasbah and gifting a blind Algerian boy a new iPhone for its accessibility features.

In response to a clip of Speed noting how Algerian architecture looked similar to that of France's, a social media user jokingly responded: "He is literally hours away from reading Fanon." 

But after the stadium altercation, footage spread rapidly online, sparking debate over why Speed was met with hostility - with some users alleging it was driven by anti-Black racism in North Africa. 

"iShowSpeed is unfortunately finding out that most of North Africa is not as welcoming as Sub-Saharan Africa," one social media user posted on X. "He should just skip the entire region or just went to Morocco and called it a day."

this speed stream and the afcon finals has really opened my eyes to what north africa really is like

— dracojeremy🔫 (@jeremyb___) January 19, 2026

Many Algerians online were upset about what happened at the football stadium and apologised for the traumatic experience he went through. 

"Algeria showed so much love, respect and hospitality towards Speed, so it’s kinda unfair seeing that one bad moment overshadow[s] every good moment that came from the stream," one social media user posted on X.

Editor's note: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that  IShowSpeed's tour ended after the incident in Algeria. The headline and article have been updated with the correct information.