African Adult Film Stars
African adult film stars do not have much history, but have primarily received their start from international influences. In the 1990s, several actresses emerged from different African nations.
South Africa was home to some of the first notable stars, such as Mignon Champ, Neena, and Belinda Hall, all White South Africans who briefly featured in adult entertainment magazines and films. At the same time, Pamela Blackford broke barriers as a Senegalese actress. Not to be overlooked was Layla Gates from Kenya, who also began her career in the 1990s.
The late 2000s and 2010s saw a new generation of stars with African heritage gain international fame. Skin Diamond, of Ethiopian and European descent, brought unique representation and became a household name in the adult film industry, winning several awards and accolades. Bethany Benz, with her Ukrainian and Nigerian roots, also rose to prominence during this era. Today, African and Afro-descendant stars continue to shine, like Zaawaadi, Lily Starfire, Noemie Bilas, Josy Black, Elsie, and Isimbi Yvonne.
Top 10 African Adult Film Stars of All-Time
Skin Diamond
Ethnicity: Ethiopian
Skin Diamond, originally from California, has a diverse heritage with her father being a well-known British actor of Ethiopian descent, while her mother is of European ancestry. Widely recognized as one of the top Black actresses of all time, Skin Diamond also stands out as one of the most popular stars in the adult entertainment industry overall, achieving status as a pop culture icon.
Making her debut in 2009, she worked actively into the 2020s, appearing in over 500 scenes with many of the industry’s top studios. Over the course of her career, she was nominated for or won more than 100 awards.
Bethany Benz
Ethnicity: Nigerian
Bethany Benz was born in Ukraine and is of mixed Nigerian and Ukrainian descent. She began her career as a model, posing for magazines, and also was a video vixen in rap and hip hop music videos. Bethany further increased her public profile by appearing as a contestant on the VH1 reality show “For the Love of Ray J.”
She entered the adult entertainment industry in 2010 and remained active until the early 2020s, featuring in over 100 scenes. Throughout her career, she worked with renowned studios such as Bangbros, Reality Kings, West Coast Productions, Brazzers, Bang!, Elegant Angel, and several others.
Zaawaadi
Ethnicity: Kenyan
Zaawaadi, originally was from a small village in Kenya, but later moved to Germany. Her name means “a gift” in Swahili. She made her debut in the adult entertainment industry in 2020, entering the field in her early 30s.
Since then, she has appeared in over 100 scenes and has been nominated for more than 20 awards. Zaawaadi has worked exclusively with leading production companies in both America, such as Brazzers and Evil Angel, as well as top European and international platforms, including Dorcel, FakeHub, LetsDoeIt, MetArt, and others.
Lily Starfire
Ethnicity: Nigerian
Lily Starfire, known as the “Nigerian Goddess,” hails from a small town just north of Atlanta, Georgia, and stands at 5’0″ tall. With a Nigerian background, she made her debut in 2022 and has quickly risen to become one of the top Black stars in the industry today.
Lily has worked with all of the major studios, including Team Skeet, Brazzers, Reality Kings, Bangbros, Evil Angel, Elegant Angel, Naughty America, and many others.
Noemie Bilas
Ethnicity: Congolese
Noemie Bilas, who is of Congolese descent but hails from the United States, made her debut in the adult entertainment industry in 2017 with Reality Kings. Standing at 5’2″, she quickly established herself as one of the top Black actresses of the late 2010s.
Over her career, which lasted until the early 2020s, Noemie appeared in over 100 scenes and collaborated with leading studios such as Devil’s Film, Reality Kings, Brazzers, Team Skeet, AMK, Diabolic Video, Evil Angel, and more. She was also nominated for multiple awards, further cementing her reputation in the industry.
Taylor Shay
Ethnicity: South Africa
Taylor Shay, born in 1986 in South Africa, is a tall and slender white South African performer standing at 5 feet 10 inches. She made her debut in 2013 and worked until the late 2010s, appearing in over 30 scenes.
Most of her work was within the European and international markets, collaborating with notable studios such as CumLouderNetwork, MetArt, and FakeHub.
Tiffany Biggs
Ethnicity: Ethiopian
Tiffany Biggs, of Ethiopian descent, began her career in the adult entertainment industry in 1999 at the age of 20, continuing into the early 2000s.
She appeared in over 15 scenes, primarily featuring in Black and urban-themed films. Tiffany worked with several notable studios, including Devil’s Film, Elegant Angel, West Coast Productions, Exquisite, and others.
Deja Chan
Ethnicity: South Africa
Deja Chan, who is of Chinese descent but was born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa, began her career in the adult entertainment industry in the early 2000s while in her early 20s.
She worked primarily with American production companies such as Hustler, Bangbros, and several others, appearing in over 20 scenes. Deja continued her career until the mid-2000s, when she retired from the industry.
Rebecca Starr
Ethnicity: South Africa
Rebecca Starr, originally from South Africa, made her debut in the adult entertainment industry in the early 2000s while in her early 20s.
She appeared in over 25 scenes, working with notable studios such as Hustler, Legend, Wildlife, Gentlemen’s Video, and several others. Her career was relatively brief, lasting only a few years.
Josy Black
Ethnicity: Cameroonian
Josy Black, originally from Cameroon, relocated to Germany where she grew up. She made her debut in the adult entertainment industry in the early to mid-2010s while in her early 20s.
Josy appeared in over a dozen scenes, primarily working within the European market, with appearances for studios such as FakeHub.
Neena
Ethnicity: South African
Neena Neena, originally from Cape Town, South Africa, started her career in the adult entertainment industry in 1997 during her late 20s.
She worked with studios such as Mike Hott, Totally Tasteless, VCA, and a few others. Over the course of her career, which lasted until 2000, Neena appeared in just over 25 scenes.
Anksa Kara
Ethnicity: Cameroonian
Anksa Kara, originally from Cameroon, moved to France where she began her career in the adult entertainment industry in her early 20s during the late 2000s.
She appeared in over 20 scenes, working primarily within the French market with companies such as Marc Dorcel and JTC Video. Anksa’s career continued into the mid-2010s.