Nairobi — NCBA Bank and HEVA Fund have signed a financing pact aimed at Kenya's creative economy, introducing bespoke credit products for artists and creative enterprises that theu contend have long operated outside mainstream banking.
The deal, announced at the NCBA Creative Economy Summit and the Elev8 LIVE album launch, establishes a suite of five financing options Event Financing, Invoice Discounting, LPO Financing, Working Capital Financing and Start-Up Incubator Financing structured around the cash-flow realities of creative work.
The products will be available to fund production, equipment, marketing, events, touring, digital distribution and business development.
The move follows rising demand for creative-sector financing, particularly after Kenya's 2024 tax incentives attracted international film interest and raised expectations among local creatives.
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The sector, however, remains largely informal, a barrier that has limited access to credit despite its economic contribution.
NCBA Group Managing Director John Gachora noted the mismatch between existing banking structures and the needs of creatives.
"Kenya's creative economy ranks among the most vibrant and promising sectors, fueled by outstanding talent that merely requires the right resources and opportunities,"he said.
"Most creative artists and enterprises operate independently and are not affiliated with cooperatives or formally recognized businesses."
The financing model features a 50:50 shared-risk structure in which NCBA and HEVA jointly evaluate and support applicants, allowing terms to reflect the irregular incomes and project-based cycles typical of creative businesses.
HEVA Fund Managing Partner Wakiuru Njuguna said the collaboration builds on over a decade of work financing creative MSMEs.
"This partnership reflects the growing commercial confidence in the viability and economic importance of creative MSMEs In partnership with NCBA, we are unlocking even more capital for small and growing creative businesses."
Elev8 LIVE Studio founder Motif Di Don said the intervention fills a longstanding gap that has slowed the growth of emerging artists.
"Talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not.With NCBA and HEVA Fund, we now have a stronger bridge between creativity and real financial empowerment."
The creative economy contributes an estimated 5.3 percent to Kenya's GDP and supports more than 300,000 entrepreneurs, but access to financing remains its biggest constraint.
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The NCBA-HEVA partnership marks one of the first major attempts by a mainstream lender to create credit products specifically tailored to the sector.
