Boost for women in creative economy after new incubation funding deal

Left: Louiza Wanjiku, Grace Murema, Faith Njeri Heho, Linda Musita from GIZ, Timothy Owase CEO Kenya Film Commission, Wanjira Maina and Tracy Sandere during the Women in Film Business Graduation and Award ceremony. (James Wanzala, Standard).

The film value chain is one of the most lucrative creative industries globally, and in Kenya, it holds immense untapped potential for women.

In partnership with GIZ, the Kenya Film Commission (KFC) is deepening its longstanding commitment to championing women's leadership in film through the launch of the Women-in-Film Incubation Programme.

This Kenyan-German flagship initiative aims to unlock opportunities for women across creative, technical, and entrepreneurial roles in an industry that employs an estimated 130,000 people, yet only 30 per cent to 40 per cent of them are women, with far fewer in positions of leadership.

The inaugural cohort of 10 women was selected through a nationwide application process, representing counties across Kenya and the diversity of the local film community.

The two-week residency focuses on helping participants build strong creative businesses. It uses creative and cultural industries frameworks to show how film can operate not only as an artistic craft but also as a commercially viable sector with real market opportunities.

As part of the programme, five top participants whose enterprises demonstrated the strongest potential get Euros 5,000 (Sh752,900). This funding is designed to help them strengthen their film enterprises by boosting production capacity, developing new content, improving business systems, or preparing their projects for the market. At the graduation event, five women were announced as the 2025 Women in Film Award recipients, each receiving EUR5,000 (Sh758,000) for enterprise growth.

They are Grace Murema of Grycelle Studio, Faith Njeri Heho - The Makeup Tower, Louiza Wanjiku Ndung'u - Nairobi Film Festival, Wanjira Maina - IConnectKenya Initiative and Tracy Annette Sandere of Rebella Afrique Media.

The five awardees will also receive training on grant administration and management to ensure effective utilisation and long-term sustainability of their enterprises. Speaking at the award and graduation, Kenya Film Commission Chief Executive Timothy Owase highlighted the Commission's commitment to equitable sector development.

"This programme addresses the persistent gender gaps in our industry. By combining practical training, mentorship, and enterprise support, we are creating opportunities for women to build competitive and sustainable film businesses," said Owase.

Kenya's film industry contributes an estimated Sh20 billion annually (about $130 million) to the economy and supports over 10,000 direct and indirect jobs.

During the two-week residency, participants were introduced to core enterprise competencies, including strategy, finance, legal and compliance, HR and people management, and digital marketing.

The cohort now transitions into a three-month mentorship and shadowing period, working closely with experts in law, human resources, finance, digital skills and strategy, while advancing modules such as business modelling, access to finance, pitch development, and investor readiness.

Bi-weekly coaching sessions will support each entrepreneur in refining her business model, deepening market understanding, and strengthening enterprise systems in preparation for scale.