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When Banking Meets the Big Screen: How NCBA Is Supporting Kenya’s Creative Economy
From ELEV8 to film partnerships, NCBA is taking its support for Kenya’s creatives beyond traditional banking.
I never imagined that one day I would sit in a cinema and enjoy a Kenyan film knowing that a bank had played a role in bringing it to the big screen.
Last week, I was among the first audiences to watch Tides, a new Kenyan musical romance-drama that premiered at Century Cinemax, Two Rivers Mall, on August 8, 2026.
Directed and written by Reuben Odanga, the film follows Salma and Biko, a musician couple facing financial struggles and difficult choices after their daughter falls seriously ill. The film stars Sarah Hassan, Brian Kabugi, Minne Kariuki and South African actor Dumisani Mbebe.
But beyond the storyline, Tides got me thinking about how the role of banks in Kenya is changing.
NCBA is betting on creative talent
NCBA supported the production and premiere of Tides, adding to its growing involvement in Kenya’s creative economy.
This support connects with the bank’s wider ELEV8 initiative, which seeks to help creatives build sustainable careers through mentorship, financial literacy, industry exposure and access to financial solutions.
ELEV8 is particularly interesting because it recognizes that talent alone may not be enough to build a lasting creative career.
Artists also need to understand money, build their brands, manage their businesses and find opportunities to grow.
When Banking Meets the Big Screen: How NCBA Is Supporting Kenya’s Creative Economy
From passion to a sustainable career
NCBA’s recent ELEV8 financial literacy and media training for artists focused on exactly these areas.
Creatives received guidance on investment, personal branding, media relations, storytelling and digital financial management.
That makes the support for Tides feel like part of a bigger conversation.
It is about creating an environment where Kenyan creatives can move from simply having talent to building sustainable businesses around that talent.
And perhaps that is where banking and the creative economy meet.
The bigger picture
Film, music, fashion, theatre and digital content are no longer simply entertainment. They are businesses that create jobs, generate income and tell Kenyan stories to local and global audiences.
Seeing Tides on the big screen was therefore more than a movie experience for me.
It was a reminder that sometimes, supporting economic growth can also mean supporting the people behind the stories, music and ideas that make Kenya what it is.
And if more financial institutions begin to see creatives not just as artists, but as entrepreneurs and businesses, the possibilities for Kenya’s creative economy could be much bigger.
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