Nice Githinji Is on the Path to Become Kenya’s Pioneering Set Intimacy Coordinator

In many film and television industries in Africa, still finding their footing and building structures in a space that, for the most part, has always been informal, intimacy coordination isn’t always top of mind. But the world is changing, and African film and TV industries are adapting, venturing into spaces they hadn’t explored before. For Kenya’s film and TV sector, intimacy coordination is becoming increasingly necessary, especially at a time when TV shows and films have more leeway with sexual and risqué content once frowned upon. Over the last few years, we’ve seen audiences gravitate towards shows like Single Kiasi, which has become Showmax’s longest running original in Kenya and one of the platform’s most-watched titles in the country for three years in a row.

“I love it. I love that it’s niche. And I love that I am an advocate for actors,” Nice Githinji told Sinema Focus in April. “Intimacy coordination is very new in the world, but it’s even newer for Kenya. My hope is that sooner or later, it becomes the new normal because everyone’s mind, body and soul has to be protected on set, whether cast or crew.”

The actor, producer and director is on a path to become Kenya’s first female certified intimacy coordinator, and one of the only two in the country. Her journey into this still very niche and emerging craft began with self-taught resources from the Intimacy Directors & Coordinators (IDC) website, a female-led platform that trains intimacy professionals for TV, film, and theatre.

Since then, she has trained under South African director and intimacy coordinator Sara Blecher through GIZ and MultiChoice Talent Factory’s intimacy coordination program in 2024, and has worked on IFFR 2025 selection Transaction and the young adult drama Tuki? (Tukisonga). Under Blecher’s mentorship, Githinji also worked on the first season of MTV Shuga Mashariki, and is now serving as the intimacy coordinator for its upcoming second season currently in production.

Githinji is now expanding her efforts as she joins Kenyan director Michael Mwangi Jones and Rwanda’s Uwera Maranatha in becoming East Africa’s pioneering intimacy coordinators – a certification that will not only give them SAG-AFTRA accreditation, but also allow them to work anywhere in the world. The trio is part of a year-long program by Safe Sets, in partnership with GIZ, MultiChoice Talent Factory Eastern Africa Academy, and the Kenya Film Commission.

Founded in South Africa, Safe Sets is a SAG-AFTRA-accredited training program that has worked with Netflix, MultiChoice, Showmax, Amazon Prime Video and BET.

As East Africa’s first cohort, Githinji, Jones, and Maranatha are training under global intimacy coordination leaders from Safe Sets – Blecher, Kate Lush, Dr. Émil Haarhoff, and Samantha Murray – all of whom have brought their expertise to acclaimed productions such as Adulting (Showmax), Fatal Seduction (Netflix), Wheel of Time (Amazon), Warrior (HBO), and Disclaimer (Apple TV+).

The program is a direct outcome of a May 2024 survey conducted by GIZ during the Contract Negotiation & Fair Labor Conditions Workshop for Women Filmmakers in Kenya, where issues of sexual harassment and assault during intimate scenes frequently arose.

For Githinji, beyond supporting safe, respectful and professional environments for actors and crew, this is also an opportunity to reclaim narrative power, especially in African societies where intimacy has long been suppressed or treated as taboo.

“As Africans, we tend to hide intimacy, as if it isn’t a natural part of life,” says Githinji. “But if we’re telling authentic stories, we must show humans in full. African love is rich, complex, beautiful, and it deserves to be seen with the same care as any other part of our identity.”

Her vision extends beyond film sets. She envisions a future where safe spaces, certified training programs, and civic education on consent and power dynamics become standard in every African production pipeline. As a long-term goal, she hopes to train more intimacy coordinators across East and Central Africa, develop localized protocols grounded in African cultural contexts, and advocate for policy inclusion in national film and creative industry legislation.

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