Ghanaian content creator Bensouth has sparked intense online debate after stating that IShowSpeed’s visit and livestreams in Ghana were driven by personal financial gain and subscriber growth rather than a deliberate effort to promote the country, adding that Ghanaians often celebrate foreigners more than they celebrate themselves.
Bensouth sparks debate over IShowSpeed’s Ghana visit
Bensouth Questions the Narrative Around IShowSpeed’s Ghana Visit
According to Bensouth, while IShowSpeed’s presence brought global attention, the American streamer’s primary motivation was content monetisation and audience expansion, a core strategy widely acknowledged in the creator economy and analysed by platforms such as Forbes and Business Insider.
Ghanaians and the Culture of Foreign Validation
The comment has reignited conversations about what Bensouth describes as Ghana’s tendency to overly celebrate foreign personalities while overlooking local creators, a pattern that contrasts sharply with how global digital culture rewards homegrown talent, as documented by BBC Culture.
Divided Public Reaction on Social Media
While some Ghanaians agree with Bensouth’s perspective, others argue that any international exposure is beneficial, pointing to the fact that IShowSpeed’s streams still amplified Ghana’s visibility worldwide, a sentiment also explored in debates surrounding Peller’s vow to surpass IShowSpeed as the world’s biggest streamer reported by GhanaMedia.net.
Speed’s Visit as a Defining Cultural Moment
Despite the criticism, many analysts maintain that IShowSpeed’s visit remains a defining cultural moment for Ghana’s digital image, echoing arguments made in GhanaMedia.net’s analysis on why the country must tell its own story loudly in the wake of IShowSpeed’s visit also published by GhanaMedia.net.
A Broader Conversation on Self-Worth and Visibility
Bensouth’s remarks ultimately reflect a broader national introspection on self-worth, cultural confidence, and how Ghana positions its own creators within a rapidly evolving global digital economy.
