The woman briefly seen in the closing moments of IShowSpeed’s widely viewed Ghana livestream is Hamamat Montia, a figure whose career spans pageantry, fashion, entertainment, and indigenous enterprise.
Hamamat first rose to national prominence after winning Miss Malaika Ghana in 2006. She followed this with a continental title as Model of Africa Universe in 2007, establishing herself as one of Ghana’s most recognizable faces in fashion and beauty at the time. In 2008, she was selected as one of two models to represent Ghana at the now-defunct M-Net Face of Africa, broadcast on DStv in South Africa. Hamamat advanced to the final round of the competition, where her compatriot Kate Techie Menson ultimately emerged as the winner.
Beyond pageantry, Hamamat’s career intersected with global music and fashion. Through her personal and professional network, she played a quiet but notable role in introducing Ghanaian rapper Sarkodie to international star Akon, who expressed interest in signing the artist around 2010. At the time, Hamamat was signed as a model under Akon’s Konvict brand and featured prominently in campaigns for his clothing line, Konvict Wear.
In recent years, Hamamat has redirected her public profile toward cultural preservation and indigenous entrepreneurship. She is the founder of Hamamat African Village, a Ghana-based enterprise focused on shea butter processing, beauty products, and heritage education. Central to this vision is her Sheabutter Museum in Accra, a cultural space dedicated to documenting the history, craft, and economic value of shea production in Africa.
The impact of global visibility was made clear following IShowSpeed’s livestream. Within 24 hours of being featured, the Sheabutter Museum was fully booked through March 16, drawing renewed local and international attention to the centre and its mission. The surge underscored how contemporary digital exposure can rapidly translate into cultural and economic value for heritage-focused institutions.
Hamamat Montia’s story illustrates a broader lesson within the creative and cultural economy. Excellence alone is often not enough. Strategic visibility and the right platform can amplify years of work, turning quiet legacy projects into globally recognized destinations.
