When American YouTuber and online streamer Darren Watkins Jr., better known as IShowSpeed or Speed, set off on a whirlwind tour across 20 African countries, millions followed along in real time. The viral moments, high-energy meetups, and cross-cultural glimpses sparked fresh interest in destinations many travelers had never seriously considered. For all its chaos, the tour left a mark and piqued people’s curiosity. That curiosity is a powerful starting point, but turning it into meaningful travel requires more than interest. Across the continent, destinations reflect different political histories, social structures, and cultural priorities.
In some places, you step into cities shaped by migration, artistic movements, or post-independence growth. In others, rural traditions, language diversity, or environmental shifts define how people live and work. Travel in these contexts calls for awareness of where you are and how things came to be. The nine African countries that follow highlight key destinations from IShowSpeed’s “Speed Does Africa” tour, each revealing the culture, history, and local character that make them essential stops.
Ghana Is Always In Style And Has Been For Generations
Ghana has become a global touchstone for African heritage travel, creative energy, and cultural pride. In the capital of Accra, you’ll find design-forward concept stores, open-air art festivals like Chale Wote, and street food scenes rooted in tradition. Dishes like waakye and kelewele are cultural expressions served with a side of community.
History is never far away in Ghana. Cape Coast and Elmina Castles give a powerful and emotional look into the country’s role in the Transatlantic Slave Trade. At the same time, today’s Ghana is future-facing, shaped by a new wave of musicians, filmmakers, and fashion creatives who continue to influence Africa and the diaspora alike.
Lagos Brings The Chaos, The Culture, And The Creativity
Lagos moves to the beat of music, markets, and the constant buzz of innovation. Here, cultural life plays out in real time, from Afrobeat sets at the New Afrika Shrine to art exhibitions in Alára’s design concept space or Rele Gallery’s global-facing programming. Dive into Nigeria’s famous food scene with suya grills, amala joints, and spots like NOK by Alara, which offers an upscale take on local cuisine.
Neighborhoods like Lekki and Yaba reflect both the city’s modern ambitions and its historic grit. What Lagos gives back to its visitors is what they give to it: openness, patience, and a willingness to engage.
Rwanda Has Rebuilt With Purpose And It Shows Everywhere You Look
Few places illuminate such a clear sense of national transformation as Rwanda. Kigali is green, orderly, and ambitious, with cultural centers like the Rwanda Art Museum and emerging design collectives that are telling new stories about the country’s identity. The Kigali Genocide Memorial provides essential context, but Rwanda also invites exploration beyond remembrance. From the tea plantations and misty canopy walks in Nyungwe Forest to Lake Kivu’s resort calm, the country combines natural beauty with a clear tourism strategy focused on sustainability and community involvement.
Uganda Is Raw, Real, And Deeply African
Uganda’s magic lies in its ability to surprise. From the adrenaline of rafting down the Nile in Jinja to the spiritual quiet of gorilla trekking in Bwindi, it’s a destination where nature and culture intersect in unexpected ways.
In the capital city, Kampala, expect a collage of contrasts: historic mosques, pulsing nightclubs, craft markets, and chapati stands lining the streets. Music spills out of matatus, and local artists combine tradition with modern influence in galleries and studios across the city. Uganda is both complex and welcoming, with experiences that speak to travelers who want to feel something real.
Senegal Is A Vibe And Has The Legacy To Back It Up
Senegal lives at the crossroads of elegance and edge. In Dakar, culture is everywhere: stitched into its fashion houses, painted on the walls of its creative districts, and sung across the rhythms of mbalax and hip-hop. The city’s Afro-diasporic energy is trendy, historic, and deeply rooted.
Gorée Island’s House of Slaves is a vital stop, as is the Museum of Black Civilizations. But visitors should also make time for the rhythm of everyday life: seafood along the Corniche, tailors in Medina, and art spaces like Village des Arts. Add an afternoon at Lac Rose or a weekend on Île de Ngor, and you begin to see how Senegal offers both depth and flow.
Tanzania Balances African Natural Grandeur With Cultural Depth
Tanzania is home to some of the world’s most iconic landscapes, including the endless plains of the Serengeti and the snow-capped peak of Mount Kilimanjaro. Beyond its views, the island of Zanzibar reveals a rich blend of Swahili, Arab, and Indian influences, shaped by centuries of trade, religion, and artistic exchange.
In Stone Town, visitors can trace the routes of spice traders and poets while exploring coral-built alleys and market stalls. On the mainland, less-touristed spots like the Usambara Mountains or Bagamoyo deepen the country’s story. Whether you’re in a wildlife reserve or on a dhow cruise at sunset, Tanzania shows travelers that its beauty is matched by its substance.
Namibia Delivers Scale, Solitude, And Striking Landscapes
Namibia’s beauty stretches across wide, quiet spaces. The red dunes of Sossusvlei shift with the light, abandoned desert towns echo with past lives, and night skies reveal some of the best stargazing anywhere in the world. From the salt pans of Etosha to the Skeleton Coast’s raw Atlantic edge, the country leaves a lasting impression through contrast and stillness.
Namibia is also a leading nation in conservation-focused travel. Community-run lodges and low-impact safari models shape much of the experience, with many travelers choosing to explore by road. That independence, paired with Namibia’s stark visual terrain, gives the country a rhythm few places match.
Angola Is Full Of Contrasts, And That’s Its Power
Angola is steadily becoming more accessible, and those who travel there will find a country shaped by both its past and its cultural momentum. In Luanda, beach bars, Afro-house parties, and a growing art scene bring a fresh energy to a city still marked by colonial architecture and uneven development.
Outside the capital, the Kalandula Falls and the sculpted cliffs of Miradouro da Lua reflect the country’s dramatic terrain. Kuduro and kizomba, Angola’s most popular dance and music styles, remain central to everyday life. Angola’s Central African roots and Portuguese influence give it a cultural identity that sets it apart from its neighbors.
Benin Balances African Spiritual Legacy With Contemporary Energy
Benin’s past is never out of sight, but its present is full of movement. In Ouidah, the former slave port now anchors annual events like Vodun Days each January, where religion, memory, and performance intersect in ways that challenge outside perceptions. The city’s Route des Esclaves leads to the Door of No Return, but along the way, murals, shrines, and community spaces tell deeper stories about survival and cultural continuity. Cotonou, the economic hub, is louder and faster, with markets, galleries, and moto-taxi traffic moving at full speed.
Local artists like Zinkpé and contemporary spaces such as the Fondation Zinsou are helping reshape how West Africa and the rest of the world perceives the country. Travel here offers both historical weight and modern context, from palace museums in Abomey to lakeside villages like Ganvié built on stilts.
