NCBA Bank and HEVA Fund this week signed a landmark agreement to launch a novel financing programme aimed at Kenya’s creative economy. The collaboration, revealed during the NCBA Creative Economy Summit and the “Elev8 LIVE” album launch on 6 December 2025, introduces a suite of financial products specially designed for artists, musicians and creative entrepreneurs.
Under the newly signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the two institutions committed to providing five bespoke financing solutions: Event Financing, Invoice Discounting, Local Purchase Order (LPO) Financing, Working Capital Financing, and Start-Up Incubator Financing. The products are structured to match the irregular, project-based cash flows typical of creative work.
“Artists and creative entrepreneurs are not locked out of financial growth simply because their income does not follow a traditional pattern,” said NCBA Group Managing Director John Gachora, underlining the bank’s aim to align financial support with the realities of creative livelihoods.
HEVA Fund, which for more than a decade has provided financing to creative MSMEs across East Africa, emphasised that the partnership creates a shared-risk financing structure.
Under the 50:50 capital match model, NCBA and HEVA will jointly assess and support applicants, thereby enabling loan terms that reflect variable income flows common in the arts sector.
“This partnership reflects growing commercial confidence in the viability and economic importance of creative MSMEs … we are making it easier for creatives to access the capital they need,” said HEVA Fund Managing Partner Wakiuru Njuguna.
Industry voices welcomed the development. For instance, Elev8 LIVE Studio founder Motif Di Don described the financing as the “bridge between creativity and real financial empowerment,” stressing that many talented creatives lack access to formal financing due to the informal nature of their income.
According to the partners, Kenya’s creative industry currently contributes an estimated 5.3 per cent to national GDP and supports more than 300,000 entrepreneurs, but access to credit remains a major constraint.
The tailored financing products aim to fill this longstanding gap by offering flexible, risk-sharing and context-sensitive solutions. Potential uses include funding for music and film production, equipment purchase, event organisation, marketing, touring, digital distribution, and other business development costs.
For many creatives and small enterprises, the new financing options offer a rare opportunity to formalize their operations and invest in growth, an opportunity that had long been out of reach under traditional banking models.
The partnership between NCBA and HEVA Fund continues a broader trend of mainstream financial institutions in Kenya reaching out to underserved sectors. Earlier in 2025, NCBA renewed a KES 3 billion facility with African Guarantee Fund (AGF) to support SMEs, particularly those led by women, and sectors like renewable energy and sustainable agriculture.
Also, NCBA has in recent months engaged in other collaborations, notably with academic institutions such as Kabarak University to provide training, mentorship and business-development support for small and medium enterprises.
These moves reflect the bank’s broader “Change the Story” agenda, a commitment to financial inclusion, youth empowerment, and the scaling of sectors beyond conventional corporate and retail banking.
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