When you run a small business in Kenya, things rarely go as planned. Access to finance can feel like a broken promise and markets are unpredictable. Expert guidance is scarce and for many women entrepreneurs, these barriers don’t just slow growth. They make doing business so uphill that many give up.
That’s why the story of Soko Kijiji Groceries Limited resonates. This women‑led business is part of a growing wave of enterprises that have found something more than a loan from NCBA’s AFAWA‑powered support. They have found footing, markets, and stability.
Women‑owned businesses across Africa have always struggled with a massive funding gap. The African Development Bank’s Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) initiative aims to close that gap by making finance more accessible and business growth more attainable for women entrepreneurs. NCBA, through its NCBA–AFAWA WSMEs Acceleration Program, is bringing empowerment initiatives to life in Kenya.
Read also – NCBA AFAWA Backing Women Led Agribusiness Growth In Kenya
This programme doesn’t simply hand out finances, but works through a powerful combination of finance, mentorship, practical business skills, and market access. So far 38 women‑led enterprises in the agri‑food value chain have been through this program, with organisers expecting the cohort to expand to 80 women by mid‑2026, with about USD 5 million in financing and at least 300 new jobs created across Kenya.
Soko Kijiji Groceries Limited
Co‑founded by Christine Kanga, Soko Kijiji sources fresh groceries from small‑scale women producers and then supplies them to customers in and around Nairobi. Like many, Christine did not lack ideas. What she lacked was access to the tools that make those ideas scalable and sustainable and she found part of that support from NCBA where she has been banking for seven years, both as an individual and through her SME. Her story is one of many showing what can happen when financial services meet the real needs of women entrepreneurs at the right moment.
Soko Kijiji Groceries Limited is more than a grocery business. It’s a bridge between women producers and consumers, with significant impact to fellow women entrepreneurs. After all, Christine sources fresh produce directly from women traders and that regular patronage gives the traders predicable income that means business growth. For the buyers, it means fresher produce and direct support to local suppliers.
This is exactly what empowerment looks like on the ground. It’s not always about lofty goals or big numbers in reports, but about someone growing their business and affording to hire staff for instance. It’s about another paying school fees without having to jeorpadize rent. It’s about seeing your business balance grow month by month because demand is real and consistent, and the entrepreneur is empowered to meet it.
What sets NCBA’s AFAWA partnership apart is the blend of finance with practical business support. A loan only can only go so far if you don’t know how to find customers or manage cash flow. Through mentorship, hands‑on training, and networking opportunities, women like Christine are getting tools they didn’t have before. That matters because finance without capability rarely moves a business forward.
The programme also builds grwoth into Kenya’s broader economy. Agriculture and agri‑food sectors are lifelines for millions and empowering women in these spaces doesn’t just help individual entrepreneurs, but also improves food security, and widens the impact across communities.
Kenya still has quite a long way to go to eliminate finance barriers for women entrepreneurs and stories like those of Soko Kijiji show that it is possible to financial support systems like NCBA–AFAWA WSMEs Acceleration Program to align with real business needs.
If you’re a woman entrepreneur reading this, consider what you need most. Access to finance might be part of it, but mentorship, markets, and a supportive network could be the difference between staying small and growing into something bigger. You too can access NCBA’s help. Open an NCBA Business Account at any branch countrywide, or get in touch through contact@ncbagroup.com. You can also reach the bank via phone numbers 0711056444 or 0732056444.
For women like Christine and countless others, that combination is transforming not just businesses, but lives.
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