If you meet some of the earliest members of Mudi Sacco today, they will take you back to Ginnery Corner in Blantyre, inside a small container office within the Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) premises in the Makata Industrial Area.
That is where the story begins.
In 1990, the institution was registered as the Malawi Bureau of Standards Sacco, operating with fewer than 50 members with total shares of about K50 000, a loan portfolio of at least K18 000 and total assets of about K25 000.
It was a modest cooperative, built on trust, shared savings and the belief that collective effort could create financial stability for workers.
At the time, few would have predicted that this small container-based Sacco would evolve into one of Malawi’s largest financial cooperatives.
Today, Mudi Sacco stands as a national financial institution with 25 000 members, total assets of about K7 billion, member shares of K4 billion and a loan portfolio of about K5 billion.
It operates branches across Blantyre, Lilongwe, Mzuzu, Zomba, Chikwawa, Nsanje and Mulanje.
The institution also recorded a surplus of over K1 billion in its 2025 financial audit.
From 2012 to May 2026 alone, the organisation increased its membership by 793 percent, assets grew by 4 382 percent, member shares rose by 2 714 percent and the loan portfolio expanded by 3 141 percent.
But how does an institution travel such a distance?
For many within the cooperative movement, the answer begins with Triza Tsiga Magaleta.
She is Mudi Sacco chief executive officer, but her story is not simply about occupying a corner office.
According to Mudi Sacco credit evaluation and monitoring manager Maggie Msampha, the company was still operating on a relatively modest scale when Triza assumed leadership in 2012.
She says membership stood at 2 800, total assets were valued at K156.2 million, member shares amounted to K142.2 million and the loan portfolio stood at K93.9 million.
Fourteen years later, the institution has multiplied several times over in size, financial strength and geographical reach.
Triza attributes the growth to disciplined management, strong governance systems and a member trust.
“Growth does not happen by accident. It is built on trust, systems and accountability,” she says.
One of the most significant shifts under her leadership has been the modernisation of service delivery.
Recognising the need to improve accessibility and efficiency, Triza championed the introduction of digital financial services that have reshaped how members interact with the Sacco.
Today, Mudi Sacco members can access services through mobile banking platforms, ATM card facilities and a WhatsApp chatbot system that allows them to check balances, apply for loans, make deposits and repay loans remotely.
These innovations, she argues, have reduced barriers to access, particularly for members in rural and distant locations.
But was technology the real turning point—or simply a tool that accelerated an already growing institution?
“Technology is a tool. What matters is whether it improves the lives of members. Every innovation we introduced was designed to make financial services more accessible and convenient,” she says.
Beyond the financial figures and digital innovations, another aspect of her leadership has attracted attention both locally and internationally is her commitment to women’s economic empowerment.
Triza says her passion can be traced back to her childhood.
Long before she became synonymous with Mudi Sacco’s growth story, she was a young girl growing up in Kachere Village in Salima District.
Her childhood was shaped by frequent relocations as her father, Elijah Tsiga, worked as a banker.
The family’s movements across the country exposed her to different communities and experiences that would later shape her understanding of economic challenges facing ordinary people.
Looking back, she credits him for sparking her interest in finance.
“I used to admire the decency of bankers. When I asked my father how I could become one, he told me to love mathematics. I took his advice and worked hard in the subject throughout my school years,” she says.
In 1997, she enrolled at the Malawi College of Accountancy, where she pursued accounting studies and obtained a diploma in 1998.
Soon after graduating, she joined the Malawi Union of Savings and Credit Cooperatives (Muscco) as cashier.
For many, it would have been an entry-level position.
For Triza, it became the foundation of a career that would span nearly three decades in the cooperative and financial services sector.
At Muscco, she served as finance officer, Sacco financial protection plan officer, inspection and examination officer and business development officer.
Alongside her professional responsibilities, she continued investing in her education, completing Acca professional part II and strengthening her expertise in finance and cooperative management.
Even after becoming Mudi Sacco general manger in 2012, Triza continued pursuing higher qualifications.
In 2015, she obtained a Master’s Degree in financial Management from Atlantic International University in the United States.
She later earned an MBA in Financial Management, further strengthening her leadership credentials.
Her commitment to professional growth mirrored the growth she was driving within the institution.
Then came another milestone.
In 2024, Mudi Sacco created the position of chief executive officer as part of its evolving corporate structure.
Triza was appointed, becoming the institution’s first CEO.
Yet perhaps her most celebrated initiative came from her passion for women’s empowerment.
Growing up, Triza says she often watched women working tirelessly in markets and small businesses, carrying children on their backs while struggling to access capital.
Years later, she translated that passion into action by introducing Mayi Watsogolo, a loan product specifically designed to support women entrepreneurs.
The initiative has helped thousands of women gain access to financing for small businesses, allowing them to expand operations, create jobs and improve household incomes.
“Beyond access to loans, the programme has also promoted financial literacy and encouraged women to participate actively in economic activities,” she narrates.
The initiative attracted international attention and was presented at the Global Women’s Leadership Network Forum in Gold Coast, Australia, in 2014.
Since then, thousands of women have benefited from improved access to finance and financial literacy programmes supported by the Sacco.
“When women have access to financial resources, entire families and communities benefit,” she says.
Her efforts have earned international recognition.
In 2018, she received the African Development Educator Award in The Gambia.
A year later, she became the first volunteer recognised by the Global Women’s Leadership Network for establishing a Sister Society in Africa, an initiative promoting women’s leadership in finance.
Between 2023 and 2024 alone, she attended more than six international conferences, representing Malawi and advocating for financial inclusion and cooperative development.
Meanwhile, Mudi Sacco itself has continued to attract recognition.
In 2023, the institution received an award from the Reserve Bank of Malawi for implementing impactful financial literacy and financial inclusion programmes.
Looking ahead, she hopes to pursue a PhD while continuing to champion financial inclusion, leadership development and community empowerment.
