Renthia Kaimbi
IShowSpeed arrived in Namibia yesterday for a brief visit, spending a single day touring sites around Windhoek before departing later that night.
The visit followed a cancelled stop last month during his “Speed Does Africa” tour, after the Namibia Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) denied a permit for his private aircraft.
This was because his aviation permit requirements were not submitted on time.
This time, the popular streamer, whose real name is Darren Watkins Jr, compressed several local experiences into a few hours.
His itinerary, confirmed to the Windhoek Observer, included a visit to a Himba village at Tjiri Lodge, an encounter with the San community at Bush Walk Experience, and a stop in Windhoek’s Single Quarters for kapana and salsa. He was also supposed to take part in a run along Independence Avenue with Namibian Olympic sprinter Beatrice Masilingi, and got a haircut at Tatekulu Barbershop.
He, however, raced a local fan, whom he beat twice.
IShowSpeed ended his visit at the Hilton Hotel, where he announced donations to unnamed local organisations.
The short stay drew comment from minister of information and communication technology Emma Theofelus, who welcomed him at Eros Airport yesterday morning.
She said the limited time spent in the country was a missed opportunity.
“No, one day is not enough to market Namibia. Namibia has a lot to offer our visitors,” Theofelus told Windhoek Observer, pointing to the difference between viral online exposure and sustained tourism promotion.
Namibia was originally meant to be IShowSpeed’s second stop after his African tour began in Angola on 28 December 2025.
The NCAA previously said his team applied for a Foreign Operator Permit less than 11 hours before the planned landing, far short of the time required for assessment, which can take up to 14 days.
It remains unclear whether a new application was submitted for this visit or whether travel plans were changed.
The aviation authority also stated during the earlier incident that no permit had been requested for drone operations, which often form part of the streamer’s live broadcasts.
Whether filming permissions were secured for this visit was not confirmed.
Although his team did not initially disclose how long the rescheduled stop would last, the packed schedule gave Namibia brief exposure to IShowSpeed’s more than 50 million YouTube subscribers during his short stay.
