Kenya is stepping up efforts to attract Chinese investment into its burgeoning film sector, a move that reflects Nairobi’s ambition to position itself as a creative powerhouse in Africa and strengthen bilateral economic ties with Beijing. Government officials have signalled this strategic priority at a media briefing ahead of the 14th Kalasha International Film and TV Market, Festival and Awards, scheduled for late April through May 2, 2026. The event itself has become a cornerstone of Kenya’s drive to expand its audiovisual industry and create new jobs for youth across the country.
At the centre of these efforts is Sudi Wandabusi, Chairperson of the Kenya Film Commission, who told journalists that the country is keen to tap into China’s financial resources, production capacity and technological expertise to build a film ecosystem capable of delivering globally competitive content. “Through co-production with Chinese investors, we will also be able to showcase our movies in the vast Chinese market,” Wandabusi said, underscoring the twin priorities of market access and content collaboration.
Representatives of Chinese media firms are already expressing optimism about Kenya’s creative potential. Wan Shaoguang, Deputy General Manager of Hunan TV International, noted growing interest among Chinese investors in East Africa’s entertainment sector, particularly in partnerships that facilitate both production and distribution of films and television content across borders.
Kenya’s push to welcome Chinese investment in film builds on a broader programme of cultural and media exchange between the two countries. In 2023, Kenya and China held the first China-Kenya Film Festival in Nairobi, where officials from both countries signed memorandums aimed at strengthening cultural ties, exchange programmes, and co-production agreements that would allow storytelling and tourism narratives to flourish across cinemas and screens in both nations.
Historical cooperation in the creative industries also speaks to wider trends. In 2019, Kenya launched Chinese Film Week to expose local audiences to Chinese cinema and enhance cultural understanding between the two peoples – moving beyond commercial interests to foster shared values and artistic exchange.
This cultural collaboration resonates with Kenya’s broader economic goals. The creative economy is a major employer of youth and expanding it with international partners addresses both youth unemployment and skills development. China’s film and TV industries are among the largest in the world, offering a powerful gateway for Kenyan creators to showcase local stories, cultures and landscapes to audiences of hundreds of millions.
The latest push for Chinese investment in film comes against the backdrop of a wider economic partnership that extends well beyond culture. Government officials say they are keen to attract Chinese capital across sectors such as agro-processing, light manufacturing, apparel and leather production, with roughly 400 Chinese firms already operating in Kenya and expectations that this figure could rise substantially in the next five years.
China and Kenya also share a long history of cooperation in infrastructure and trade. The two countries upgraded their ties in recent years, including commitments under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and expanded economic cooperation agreements signed during President William Ruto’s 2025 state visit to Beijing. Projects have included major road and railway improvements as well as joint efforts to attract foreign direct investment.
Importantly, the film sector strategy aligns with Kenya’s ambition to serve regional, continental and global markets, making Nairobi a cultural hub not only for East Africa but also for global audiences, including China’s massive media market of more than 1 billion viewers. Chinese film and TV content already enjoys popularity among Kenyan audiences, with collaborations that involve co-broadcasting, co-production and technology transfer helping to elevate local capabilities and share cultural narratives from both sides.
The Kenyan government’s outreach to Chinese investors in the film sector represents a strategic blend of culture and commerce. For Nairobi, this is not simply about producing better films; it is about establishing value chains in creative industries, tapping into global distribution networks, and attracting investment that stimulates jobs, skills and cross-border cultural flows. For Beijing, partnering with Kenya’s creative economy offers a new dimension to China’s engagement with Africa, one that goes beyond hard infrastructure to include soft power, cultural exchange and economic diversification.
As Kenya prepares to host the Kalasha International Film and TV Market and Awards in April, all eyes will be on how these potential Chinese partnerships could elevate Kenyan storytelling onto global screens and how creative collaboration could become a model for next-generation China-Africa economic ties.
