24 Famous People Who Visited Ghana (From iShowSpeed to Obama)

Asenema Waterfalls. A chieftaincy ceremony in Akropong where he was enstooled as Barima Kofi Akuffo. Black Star Square, the Nkrumah Memorial Park, boxing in Bukom, a shea butter museum and spa in Accra. Millions watched live, and Ghana turned a viral stream into what one outlet called "a tourism masterclass." Nobody scripted any of it — that's the point.

Came for what was supposed to be a visit and ended up founding a festival. He met President Akufo-Addo at Jubilee House, toured the Nkrumah Memorial Park and Adom Waterfall, received the Akan name Nana Kofi Boa-Ampensom — and launched the Black Star Line Festival, which brought Dave Chappelle, Erykah Badu, and T-Pain back the following year.

Chance's partner in the whole thing. His father is Ghanaian — he visited the family home, then co-founded the Black Star Line Festival, held at Black Star Square in January 2023. For him it wasn't tourism. It was going home and bringing the culture with him.

Before the Mr. Morale tour, Kendrick held a private listening event in Accra, filmed a Spotify documentary called "A Day in Ghana," and played football with residents in Jamestown. No big stage, no entourage circus — he just showed up.

Headlined the Global Citizen Festival at Black Star Square, then did the thing most headliners skip: toured a school and community in Chorkor with SZA, and walked through Cape Coast Castle's Door of No Return. The concert was the job. The rest was personal.

Headlined a massive show at The Dome in Accra back in 2012 alongside Sarkodie — then came back eleven years later for studio sessions. A decade apart. That's not a tour stop, that's a relationship.

Arrived for the Year of Return with a press conference at the Mövenpick in Accra, promoting his "Akonda" album. Akon's whole second act is Africa-focused — and Ghana got the visit.

Both performed at the Black Star Line Festival at Black Star Square — the festival Chance and Vic built from that 2022 trip. One visit became an institution.

Met the president, then went to Kumasi for Akwasidae at Manhyia Palace — in kente, alongside the Asantehene himself — while filming his Gold Coast documentary. You don't get more "I'm home" than that.

The German-Ghanaian actor co-led the Full Circle Festival with about forty celebrity friends — met the president, toured the slave castles. He basically threw Ghana's coming-out party for the diaspora, right before the Year of Return made it official.

Arrived with the NAACP's "Jamestown to Jamestown" delegation — an ancestral healing ceremony by the ocean in Jamestown, Accra, plus business and investment talks. Activism and economics in a single trip.

Came to film his six-part documentary series "Enslaved," tracing his own ancestry from Gabon to Ghana. Was spotted at the +233 Jazz Bar in Accra looking extremely comfortable. When Nick Fury relaxes somewhere, pay attention.

Toured Elmina and Cape Coast Castles with his family during the Year of Return and was visibly moved to tears in the slave dungeons. Whatever you think of Steve Harvey the TV host, that footage is real — the castles do that to people.

Flew in for the Black Star Line Festival, met President Akufo-Addo, sat down with Chance the Rapper at the University of Ghana, and partied with Michael Blackson. Chappelle doesn't do anything for show — the fact that he showed up says plenty.

Hosted AFRIMA in Accra in 2018 — then in January 2026 filmed his comedy special "I Deported Myself" there. The title alone tells you where his heart is.

Met President Kwame Nkrumah at Flagstaff House, fought an exhibition bout against his brother Rahman at the national stadium, traveled to Kumasi to meet the Asantehene — and famously ran into Malcolm X outside the Ambassador Hotel. Two giants, one Accra sidewalk, 1964.

The Ghana-born WWE star came home after 26 years — met the president at Jubilee House, paid homage to the Asantehene at Manhyia Palace, visited Lake Bosomtwe and his hometowns of Ejisu and Atwima Techiman. A homecoming in the truest sense.

Gave a speech at the University of Ghana — "I don't feel that I am a visitor in Ghana" — and met Nkrumah, Maya Angelou, and Julian Mayfield. Ghana was his political home away from home, and he said so out loud.

Didn't just visit — lived there. Administrator at the University of Ghana, feature editor of The African Review, freelance writer for the Ghanaian Times, broadcaster for Radio Ghana. She wrote about those years in "All God's Children Need Traveling Shoes." If you've read it, you've already been.

Moved to Accra at 93 to lead the Encyclopedia Africana project, became a Ghanaian citizen in 1963, and died there that same year with a state funeral. His home is now the Du Bois Memorial Centre for Pan-African Culture — and yes, you can visit it.

His first sub-Saharan Africa trip as president: addressed Ghana's Parliament, met President Mills, and walked through Cape Coast Castle's Door of No Return with Michelle, Malia, and Sasha. The photos from that day are iconic for a reason — a U.S. president standing where enslaved Africans took their last steps home.

Led a 14-member congressional delegation — including John Lewis and Ilhan Omar — and became the first U.S. Speaker to address Ghana's Parliament. Cape Coast, Elmina, the Nkrumah Mausoleum. Bipartisan, in the truest sense: history doesn't check party registration.

Shot a W Magazine fashion editorial around Accra in 2013, returned for the Full Circle Festival, and in 2019 visited fashion students at Radford University. Supermodels don't do campus visits for nothing — she was investing, not just posing.