‘Chat, Namibian beef slaps!’

IShowSpeed says kapana is ‘actually good’

“I’M about to be a Himba – let’s go!”

This is what American streamer Darren Watkins Jr, popularly known as IShowSpeed, told his millions of followers on YouTube yesterday as they virtually followed him inside a small hut.

He was introduced to a group of Himba women at Okahandja with a hand-clapping traditional dance.

The Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB) and minister of information and communication technology Emma Theofelus welcomed the streamer, who arrived in Windhoek yesterday for his Namibian tour after visiting several African countries for the past few weeks.

All eyes were on Namibia as the internet sensation was taken from Eros Airport straight to Okahandja to meet the Himba and the San communities.

There, he tried his hand at making fire the San way, rapidly rubbing some sticks between the palms of his hands and shooting with a bow and arrow at a fake animal a distance away in the veld.

At the Himba village, what shocked the famous global YouTube sensation was not being asked to remove his shorts to wrap a sheep’s skin around his waist, but when his Himba host told him that several women could share one man.

For the maximum experience, he removed his earrings and wore traditional headgear worn by unmarried Himba men.

The community adorned him in traditional attire and applied the traditional ochre to his skin.

“How do you say hello?” he asked his host, before repeating after her “moro” as he greeted the tribe’s people outside the hut.

As the woman tied some strings around his waist, he curiously asked: “Am I the tribe warrior right now?”
“You are the wanted one,” his host replied.

Later, Watkins listened in shock as the woman related that the Himba tribe does not bath.
“Himba women do not bath with water, since childhood.

We don’t use water at all. We shower with butter and ochre. Ochre protects us from the sunburn and coldness,” his host said as she also explained that the tribe that used to be nomadic is now semi-nomadic.

The Himba community also taught him some words in their language and explained the history behind their style of dressing, especially differentiating between married and unmarried Ovahimba women.

Watkins’ next move was to Namibia’s famous Single Quarters at Katutura, where he was treated to kapana by ZuluBoy, whose real name is Pinehas Shikulo.

“Welcome to Namibia, brother.

So, this is the best meat in the world, the best beef, Grade A,” Zulu Boy said.

“Chat, Namibian beef slaps though. It’s actually good,” Watkins said.

His next stop was along Independence Avenue, close to Zoo Park, where another crowd was waiting for him.

He was also welcomed by traditional groups such as the Kavango Traditional dancing group and the Nama Traditional group, which he joined dancing.

Namibian athlete John Deon challenged Watkins to a short sprint, but lost to the streamer and conceded defeat.

Watkins described the experience as a good ending to his tour.

“This tour has changed my life, and I want to thank everybody who watched the tour. I met so many wonderful people. Everybody was giving me love, trying to hug me.

“I’m thinking about giving back to the community to support local campaigns in some of the places I’ve visited,” he said, before saying his DNA results show he is 100% African.

NIPDB spokesperson Catherine Shipushu yesterday said the company would only be able to comment on what IShowSpeed’s visit to Namibia would mean for Namibia’s tourism once the tour concludes.

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