NAIROBI, Kenya Aug 26 – NCBA and HEVA Fund have partnered to expand access to credit for Kenya’s creative industry, with the two institutions offering financing at a concessional interest rate of 9 percent and repayment options designed around the income cycles of creative businesses.
The partnership targets artists and creative enterprises seeking capital to purchase equipment, meet working-capital needs, finance events and expand their businesses.
Speaking on Capital FM, NCBA Product Manager for Commercial and SME Lending Michael Owino said the bank had recognised that creatives can operate viable businesses despite the different nature of their income streams.
“We’ve basically taken time to understand the creatives and noted that these are not just guys who are doing artwork or enjoying having fun. These are guys who can actually convert their ambitions and their skills into bankable business enterprises.”
The financing is being delivered through an NCBA-HEVA partnership that combines the bank’s lending capacity and distribution network with HEVA’s experience in financing creative enterprises. HEVA Investment Director Pam Mutembei said the partnership was also aimed at changing how financial institutions view the sector.
“When we think about artists, we want to think of them as enterprises—meaning they are bankable businesses that can be lent to,” she said.
Owino said NCBA chose to work with HEVA because of the fund’s experience in the creative sector.
“We want to tap into their expertise because they understand the creatives, and NCBA has the financial muscle. This partnership is meant to enhance our collaboration and serve our customers better by scaling their businesses to the next level,” he said.
The partnership provides for financing in areas including event financing, invoice discounting, LPO financing, working-capital financing and start-up incubation. The initial facility is valued at KSh20 million, with HEVA and NCBA contributing equally, while financing is offered at a 9 percent concessional rate.
A key feature of the financing is flexibility in repayment. Owino said NCBA had taken into account the fact that some creative businesses do not receive income at regular monthly intervals.
“We’ve been able to create solutions that allow payments to be done on a quarterly or periodic basis—either as a one-off bullet payment or monthly, depending on the model,” he said.
The financing is intended to support different business needs, including equipment and working capital, while eligible businesses can also access funding linked to confirmed orders, contracts or events.
Mutembei said the partnership with NCBA was intended to take HEVA’s work in the creative sector to a wider group of businesses by using the bank’s established network.
“The purpose of our partnership with NCBA was for us to reach scale. They have the distribution, the network, and definitely a bigger balance sheet,” she said.
She said access to financing should also be accompanied by support to help creatives manage their businesses before and after receiving the funds.
“We do pre- and post-investment readiness. Before you get the money, we have training on market readiness, distribution, agent training, and IP protection. Even when you get the money, we work with consultants to ensure it is not harmful to you,” Mutembei said.
Owino said NCBA and HEVA had also introduced financial literacy and mentorship through the partnership.
“Through the partnership, we’ve come up with ‘Elevate 3@3,’ where we are able to offer financial literacy to these artists. We’re able to mentor them… bringing it into reality and providing market opportunities,” he said.
Mutembei said HEVA had lent more than KSh1.2 billion to the creative sector in the previous year. The figure was given by Mutembei during the Capital FM interview and is therefore presented as her statement rather than as an independently verified industry figure.
The partnership builds on HEVA’s existing work in creative financing, with the fund providing financing alongside business development support for creative enterprises.
For NCBA, the partnership is part of its wider engagement with the creative economy. The bank’s 2025 integrated report references a creative start-up incubator and risk-sharing facility developed with HEVA.
Owino said creatives interested in the financing can access the application through NCBA and HEVA.
“This product is live and ready right now. You can visit our website at www.ncbagroup.com, you can visit any of our over 100 branches across the country, or visit any HEVA office or their website to get the application form,” he said.
The partnership places access to capital alongside financial literacy, mentorship and business-readiness support, with the two institutions seeking to address some of the financing challenges faced by creative enterprises while recognising the different income patterns within the sector.
