In 2025, live streaming in Africa is no longer a fringe activity or a niche pastime. It has matured into a powerful digital force that drives entertainment, culture, community, and commerce across the continent. From Twitch and YouTube to TikTok live battles, African livestreamers have carved out distinct identities and amassed audiences that rival many mainstream media personalities.
This report presents a verified, descending ranking of the top 10 live streamers in Africa today, based on measurable popularity, documented milestones, cultural influence, and audience engagement. Each profile below gives readers a deep understanding of who these creators are, what they’ve achieved, and why they matter.
1. Carter Efe (Nigeria) – Most Followed African Twitch Streamer
Carter Efe stands at the summit of Africa’s livestreaming ecosystem in 2025. His rapid rise to prominence was powered by a landmark Twitch broadcast that featured Afrobeats superstar Davido. Within a matter of days, Carter Efe’s Twitch follower count exploded, surpassing all other African creators on the platform.
This wasn’t just a momentary spike. His stream drew peak concurrent viewers of more than 80,000, a figure that has since become the benchmark for live audiences by an African streamer on Twitch. More than just large viewership numbers, the session translated into substantial paid subscriptions, making Carter Efe the first African creator to cross the 20,000 subscribed-user threshold on Twitch.
What makes Carter Efe’s achievement especially significant is the cultural crossover he represents. He is not a traditional gamer or a livestreaming-born personality. Instead, his roots are in comedy and music, yet he has brought mainstream celebrity culture directly into live streaming. His broadcasts now regularly feature high-caliber guests from music, sports, and entertainment, reinforcing a new model where livestreaming intersects with mainstream celebrity.
For many observers, Carter Efe’s success signals a pivotal shift in how African audiences consume live content: they now expect spectacle, star power, and community interaction all in real time.
2. DropsByPonk (South Africa) – Largest Gaming Audience on Twitch
Platform: Twitch
Achievements: Most followed African gaming streamer on Twitch with ~680,000 followers
While Carter Efe leads in combined entertainment metrics on Twitch, DropsByPonk holds a monumental position as the most followed African streamer within the gaming domain. His follower count, estimated around 680,000, reflects consistent global interest and solidifies his place as one of the most followed Twitch personalities from Africa overall.
DropsByPonk’s content centers on Minecraft and related gaming genres. What sets him apart is his ability to cultivate not just mass followership but deep engagement. His streams regularly draw viewers who tune in for extended sessions, interact through chats, and participate in community-driven events.
Unlike many African streamers whose popularity is tied to celebrity appearances or entertainment collaborations, DropsByPonk’s influence stems from sustained, game-first content. He represents the traditional side of livestreaming growth: hours spent building community, mastering games, and delivering consistent, quality live entertainment.
For gaming enthusiasts across Africa and beyond, DropsByPonk is a familiar name and a reliable destination for livestream entertainment.
3. Shank Comics (Nigeria) – Comedy and Culture in Livestreaming
Platforms: Twitch, formerly social media platforms
Achievements: One of the most followed African entertainers on Twitch with ~230,000+ followers
Shank Comics, whose real name is Emmanuel Adesokan, exemplifies the power of personality in livestreaming. Before fully embracing Twitch, he built a reputation as a social media comedian known for skits, character-driven comedy, and relatable humour. When he brought that persona to Twitch livestreams, his audience followed.
Shank’s streams are less about gameplay and more about entertainment variety. He mixes music sessions, comedy segment-style interactions, live chats, and reaction-style formats that feel familiar to his existing fanbase. In many ways, his channel feels like a live variety show where audiences know they can tune in for laughter, commentary, and real-time engagement.
Shank Comics’ position in this ranking highlights that livestreaming in Africa is not limited to gaming or battles. It is a space where content creators from adjacent digital entertainment backgrounds can flourish and build dedicated communities.
4. Enzo (Nigeria) – Community‑Driven Streaming Force
Platform: Twitch
Achievements: Top-tier African Twitch follower count with ~169,000+ followers
Enzo represents the core of community-centric streaming. His rise has been gradual but steady, built on engaging content, consistent broadcast schedules, and a genuine connection with his audience. Unlike some creators whose virality is tied to a single event or celebrity appearance, Enzo’s growth reflects sustained viewer loyalty.
His content spans gaming, interactive chats, and special thematic sessions that encourage audience participation. Viewers return not because of hype or momentary trends, but because they feel part of a community experience.
For brands and observers looking at African livestreaming trends, Enzo exemplifies how community engagement, not just follower counts, can define a creator’s influence.
5. Rachel Kay (South Africa) – Leading Female Twitch Presence
Platform: Twitch
Achievements: Most prominent female African streamer on Twitch with ~144,000 followers
Rachel Kay’s influence on the continent is significant for representation. As the most followed female African streamer on Twitch, she has carved out a space where women creators are visible, influential, and commercially viable.
Rachel’s streams feature gaming, cosplay, lifestyle content, and real-time interactions that blur the lines between personal authenticity and digital performance. Her audience is diverse, drawn by her approachable on‑camera presence and her ability to balance gaming skill with relatable community engagement.
Her success underscores a growing trend: livestreaming is not a monolithic space dominated by one type of creator. Women are shaping audiences, setting engagement standards, and becoming cultural figures in their own right.
6. Peller (Nigeria) – TikTok Livestream Icon
Platform: TikTok Live
Achievements: Record-breaking TikTok livestream viewership and substantial revenue from audience gifts
Peller, whose name is Habeeb Hamzat, illustrates the diversity of Africa’s livestream landscape. Unlike many on this list whose prominence is tied to Twitch, Peller’s influence is rooted in mobile-first livestreaming on TikTok.
His energetic live sessions have drawn tens of thousands of viewers in real time and generated substantial revenue through audience gifts, a key monetization mechanism on TikTok. Peller is frequently cited as one of the creators who demonstrated the earning potential of livestreaming on mobile platforms in Africa.
In an ecosystem where younger audiences increasingly prefer short‑form mobile content, Peller’s success signals how livestreaming is not confined to traditional platforms.
7. King Kaly (Nigeria) – Champion of TikTok Live Battles
Platform: TikTok Live
Achievements: Most-viewed TikTok live battle events by an African creator
King Kaly, also known as the “TikTok King,” commands huge engagement during livestream battle sessions on TikTok. These live battles, where creators compete for visibility and viewer support, are among the highest-engagement formats on the platform.
King Kaly’s streams are dynamic, fast-paced, and designed for real-time interaction. The audiences he draws are deeply engaged, ready to gift, comment, and participate. His prominence reflects how African creators are leveraging platform-native features to capture attention and build community support.
8. JoBlaq (Nigeria) – Multi‑Platform Livestream Growth
Platforms: YouTube Live, TikTok Live
Achievements: Strong multi‑platform following (~396,000 combined followers)
JoBlaq, or Oyadare Emmanuel Gbolahan, stands out because of his multi‑platform success. Unlike creators who focus predominantly on one platform, JoBlaq builds his audience across YouTube and TikTok livestreams.
His strategy emphasizes accessibility and cross‑platform visibility, enabling him to reach audiences regardless of device or live format preference. This versatility has helped him maintain relevance and growth in a rapidly changing digital media landscape.
9. VirtualGemma (South Africa / UK) – Competitive Gaming Presence
Platform: Twitch
Achievements: Dedicated following in competitive gaming (~31,000+ followers)
VirtualGemma’s success highlights that niche livestreaming still holds significant value. With a focus on first‑person shooter titles and competitive gameplay, she attracts dedicated viewers who are passionate about serious gaming. Her channel may not have mass numbers, but her influence within her niche is strong.
Her presence also signifies how African streamers are represented across global gaming cultures, not just regional markets.
10. Spyro_ZA (South Africa) – Strategy Game Specialist
Platform: Twitch
Achievements: Loyal audience in strategy and tactical game streams (~45,000+ followers)
Rounding out this ranking is Spyro_ZA, a strategist at heart whose livestreams focus on tactical and strategy gaming. His community is smaller than some others on this list, but highly engaged and loyal.
Spyro_ZA’s success reminds us that livestreaming is not only about follower counts; it’s about connection, shared interest, and persistent community presence.
Why These Streamers Matter
By 2025, Africa’s livestreaming space is no longer defined by a single platform or genre. It is a tapestry that includes gaming, comedy, celebrity crossover events, TikTok battles, mobile monetization, and community‑centered broadcasts. These creators illustrate a continent where digital audiences are active, participatory, and passionate.
What unites these top 10 streamers is not just popularity, but impact. They have built communities, created economic opportunities, expanded the scope of digital entertainment, and challenged the idea that livestreaming is a secondary medium. In Africa today, livestreaming is central to digital culture, and these creators are at the forefront of that transformation.
