NCBA has launched the second cohort of 42 women agri-preneurs under the Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) Acceleration progamme in partnership with SME Support Centre, African Guarantee Fund (AGF) and Unga Group Plc.

The initiative is designed to unlock growth for women-owned SMEs by improving access to finance, skills, and markets.  So far 38 women from the first cohort have already benefited from the programme receiving USD 1.5 million cumulatively in funding and trainings to sustainably scale their businesses.

The second cohort onboarded in February 2026 builds on this impact, with NCBA Bank expected to provide up to USD 5 million in lending across the two cohorts by July 2026. The women under the programme operate in critical sectors including human food and animal feed across the country positioning them at the heart of Kenya’s food security and value chain development.

Across Africa women entrepreneurs face additional structural constraints, including limited access to collateral and smaller loan sizes, resulting in an estimated USD 42 billion financing gap for women-led enterprises. The programme seeks to bridge this gap through a tailored financing model anchored in a partial guarantee scheme between NCBA and AGF. This risk sharing facility is designed to reflect the realities of SMES which often lack the collateral traditionally required to access credit.

The programme takes an integrated support model that combines affordable financing, technical skills development, mentorship, and access to new markets with the intervention expected to create approximately 300 new jobs and strengthen the resilience and scalability of the selected 80 WSMEs.

Within the partnership framework, NCBA Bank provides capital and lending solutions tailored to SME needs, AGF serves as the risk-sharing partner and programme sponsor, enabling increased credit access through guaratees, while Unga Group plays a critical role as the learning partner by offering industry insights, technical expertise, and exposure to scalable business practices within the agri-food value chain.

“Following the success of the first cohort, we are excited to launch the second phase of this acceleration programme, which supports women‑owned enterprises through integrated access to skills, markets, and finance. By combining practical training, industry exposure through Unga Group, on‑site business support, and financial linkages with NCBA, we are enabling real, sustainable business growth,” said Linda Onyango, CEO, SME Support Centre (SSC).

Within this framework, each partner plays a critical role providing a holistic ecosystem that goes beyond financing to equip women entrepreneurs with the tools, knowledge, and networks required to scale and compete sustainably.

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For media enquiries, please contact:

Nelly Wainaina | Group Director- Marketing, Communication and Citizenship | NCBA Nelly.Wainaina@ncbagroup.com  |Tel:   +254 711 056 444

About NCBA Group

NCBA Group is a full-service banking group providing a broad range of financial products and services to corporate, institutional, SME and consumer banking customers. NCBA Group operates a network of over 100 branches across five countries, including Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and the Ivory Coast. Serving over 60 million customers, the NCBA Group is the largest banking group in Africa by customer numbers. NCBA Bank Kenya PLC is one of the leading banks in terms of assets. The Bank continues to play a key role in supporting Africa’s economic ambitions. The Bank is a Market Leader in Corporate Banking, Asset Finance and Digital Banking.