Triza Tsiga Magreta has emerged as an advocate for women empowerment and a tremendous leader of Mudi Savings and Credit Cooperative (SACCO) within the financial inclusion community. Triza’s transformative leadership and impact in her local community stemmed from her own educational success—a Master’s degree in Business Administration and Financial Management from Atlantic International University (AIU). Triza’s advanced academic knowledge at AIU has provided her skills to apply evidence-based approaches  demonstrating proficiencies in financial analysis, strategic management, and business development that helped her implement change in Malawi’s financial sector.

Triza Tsiga Magreta’s dedication to empowering women and her professional achievements show how education and leadership could be the most impactful ways of realizing sustainable development and economic empowerment.

Academic Background

Triza Tsiga Magreta’s educational journey has played a significant role in her development as a visionary leader:

Master’s Degree in Business Administration and Financial Management: Triza achieved her master’s from AIU in the area of financial analysis, strategic management, and business development. The intensity of the program allowed Triza to apply her advanced knowledge of financial principles and skills in identifying various complex financial and strategic issues and solving them through cooperative approaches at Mudi SACCO.

Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting: In addition, Triza achieved her bachelor’s degree in accounting at AIU. Triza’s education in terms of financial concepts allowed her to find a professional career in finance and leadership positions in cooperative organizations.

Work History

Triza’s career path illustrates a career of commitment to cooperatives and effective planning:

Early Career: Triza began as a cashier at the Malawi Union of Savings and Credit Cooperatives (MUSCCO), was quickly promoted to a Finance Officer, Inspector, and finally a Business Development Officer. These positions gave Triza informal education about how cooperatives are run, managing finance, and the value of community.

Incredible Accomplishments as a CEO: As the CEO of Mudi SACCO, Triza has accomplished the following incredible milestones:

1. Led an incredible 2.870% increase in assets, making Mudi SACCO a key player in the financial landscape, which has increased its capacity to provide service to the community.
2. Enabled an impressive increase in membership of 855%, which greatly increased the cooperative’s capacity and presence in communities, driving financial inclusion on a massive scale.
3. Implemented strategies that provided stability by decreasing loan default rates from 40% to 1%, thus fostering trust among members and facilitating further sustainable member-driven growth.

Initiatives and Contributions

Triza’s initiatives have had a huge impact on financial empowerment, some of her major contributions include:

Mayi Watsogolo Loan Product: For example, with Triza’s support, Mudi SACCO launched a new innovative loan product called “Mayi Watsogolo”, which is designed to assist women entrepreneur’s financial independence, increased and involved women as cooperative members, and increased women’s presence in the cooperative decision-making and leadership processes to enhance women’s proactive contribution to community development.

Advocacy and Community Education: Triza has been adamant about highlighting women’s financial literacy through educational programming and workshops, in addition to financial products. Through the workshops that are presented to women who attend them, she has discussed how a broader section of women in Africa rely totally on their own savings or predatory lending and don’t have an idea about institutional finance or loan sharks. She had thus trained them to have financial literacy through workshops and education, so that they know what is in their choice set, helping them make financial decisions and have a better future outlook.

Recognition and Awards

Triza has received global recognition for her capacity to lead and participate in the space of financial and women empowerment, some noteworthy recognitions include:

African Development Educator Award (2018): Triza won in Gambia for contributions she made through her meaningful educational impacts to drive financial education and financial empowerment, therefore citing her as a reference point for other grassroots movements of financial literacy and financial inclusion educators across Africa.

Global Women’s Leadership Network: In 2019, Triza was awarded; Triza was the first African leader to have a Sister Society. As of 2019, Triza has contributed to advancing gender parity and women’s leadership development in the finance space, and empowered and supported women around the world to go and seek out and occupy leadership, and as a regulator of themselves and financially contribute to and through economic development.

Nominated for Women Achievers Africa (WAA), Country Representative Impact Award  2025: Nominated for demonstrating outstanding leadership qualities and positive transformational impact on community development through financial inclusion.Through her nomination, Triza is acknowledged as an innovative and visionary leader helping to uplift the cooperative movement in Africa.

Triza’s Personal Life

Triza is a devoted wife and mother of four daughters. Triza also credits her family in helping her become successful. Triza’s personally lived experiences illustrate the component of resilience, determination, community support and strength a person must have to implement their vision or achieve their goals and milestones.

Future Plans

Triza sees a bright future and plans to extend her pursuit field; i.e., Ph.D. Pursuit: She wishes to pursue a PhD to improve her knowledge with respect to financial management and leadership as well as to explore new avenues for economic empowerment and sustainable development.

Legacy-Driven Business: Triza is planning to start a legacy business, based again on these principles of sustainable economic development and empowerment of marginalised communities. With this, she aims to continue building momentum to create social change through her leadership and to support financial independence of women.

Triza Tsiga: Utmost Committed to Women’s Empowerment through Finance

Triza Tsiga is the CEO of Mudi Savings and Credit Cooperative (SACCO) and is a true testament to the value of determination and vision in the journey of women’s empowerment. She grew up in Salima District in Malawi, and was motivated by the resilience of women in her home community and their dire need for financial support. Triza pursued her studies in finance and occupied many roles across the financial sector; she was appointed as the CEO of Mudi SACCO in 2023.

Since taking on the leadership position,Triza has transformed the organization from a funding perspective to an extremely successful cooperative, showing unbelievable growth of 2870% in assets, also showing that the average loan defaults have been severely reduced in a record time.  Triza has seen the growing need for women entrepreneurs to be included in the SACCO and has designed the Mayi Watsogolo loan product that speaks to a growing demographic, and today women across Africa have grown this asset tremendously with a record of highest female membership in the co-operative.

Triza too has earned international prominence as a champion and advocate for financial inclusion, with many public speaking engagements and honorary awards worldwide. She is always encouraging young women to believe in themselves and to work hard towards their dreams and aspirations. Triza’s journey is an extraordinary story of what leadership can achieve, to make an impact and influence as an ambassador of social change towards women’s financial independence.

Triza Magreta Takes a Lead in the Nominations:  2025 Women Achievers Africa Country Reps Impact Award

Triza Tsiga Magreta, the one of a kind CEO of Mudi SACCO, and Malawi Country Representative for Women Achievers Africa (WAA) has officially broken into the top of the leaderboard for the 2025 Country Reps Impact Award nominees. As at 2nd April 2025, 21:00 hours, she led with 3,605 votes over Tanzanian rival Mary Wolfgang by a slender margin of 145 votes, what an inspiring wound to have leaped from trailing by over 400 votes earlier in the day!

This amazing award is an acknowledgment of Triza’s inspiring leadership, community impact, and mobilization of women and youth throughout Malawi and other countries.  Triza’s nomination was part of the continent-wide celebration of 18 outstanding Country Representatives, each acknowledged for their contribution towards women’s leadership, socio-economic development, and gender equality! WAA has described Triza as a “dynamic leader, inspirational speaker and visionary CEO”; she has impressed greatly as a mentee, changemaker, and innovator.

In addition to her work at Mudi SACCO, Triza plays a multitude of other roles.

They are:

• Vice Chairperson of the African Women in Coops Network 
• Speaker at the Governmental Affairs Conference, Washington D.C. 
• Global Women’s Leadership Network member 
• Women Mentorship Alumni of the Cooperative Development Foundation of Canada 
• Product Developer for financial access for women in small-scale businesses 
• Youth Inclusion Advocate, championing savings and inclusion programs through SACCOs in Malawi

Triza is also an International Credit Union Development Educator (ICUDE), African Development Educator, and an Advanced Africa Development Educator who represents her country on global stages and supports the next generation of co-operative leaders.

The WAA Country Reps Impact Award winner will be announced at the 2025 Women Achievers Conference & Awards Dinner Ceremony in Lagos, Nigeria, and will be awarded a US$5,000 grant to support their impactful work.

Promoting Savings to Invest: Mudi SACCO’s Goal for Financial Growth

Driven by the revered leadership of Chief Executive Officer Triza Tsiga Magreta, Mudi SACCO promotes saving, as a good practice of financial management, even in turbulent economic tides.

Triza Tsiga Magreta reiterated that commitment at a recent event in Blantyre, to talk about saving for financial growth and stability. This event—the presentation of prizes of the Dubai Wakodola Promotion—continued to evidence Mudi SACCO’s commitment to empower women follow good financial practices.

During the event, Ngoza Ruth Chiolowa was awarded the grand prize of an all expense paid trip to Dubai, further demonstrating Mudi SACCO’s commitment to honour and motivate the members for doing good savings.  Triza Tsiga Magreta indicated that Mudi SACCO’s bigger focus is to not only honour its members, but to endeavour and empower them to accomplish their financial goals through saving and investment discipline.

Triza Tsiga Magreta: ICUDE Designation for Dedicated Service

Triza Tsiga Magreta, Chief Executive Officer of Mudi Savings and Credit Cooperative (SACCO) in Malawi, achieved the prestigious International Credit Union Development Educator (ICUDE) designation for her amazing leadership and commitment to financial empowerment.  Triza has made transformational advancement in financial inclusion and women’s empowerment in Malawi.  It is important to note that Triza is one of twenty-five graduates from the ICUDE program around the world who was publicly recognized for her commitment at the 2024 World Credit Union Conference in Boston.  This is a notable achievement for Triza as it confirms her as a changemaker in the cooperative sector with an ongoing commitment for sustainable development.

Triza’s visionary leadership at Mudi SACCO has not only improved access to financial services for women but has also worked on participation of women in the global economy through financial products and financial education. She exemplifies how committed leadership in the area of co-operative development can facilitate lasting social change where individuals feel empowered to step outside of the control of financial systems and create a better future for themselves and their families. The designation of ICUDE is a very fitting recognition according to Triza’s consistent contributions and role in shaping the future of financial co-operatives in Africa.

Mudi Sacco’s Strategic Initiatives for Growth and Modernization

The General Manager of Mudi Sacco, Triza Tsiga Magreta is implementing strategic initiatives to expand membership and modernize operations at the organizational level through improved service and member satisfaction. Plans include an outreach and inclusion program and system growth & diversification of services. The Sacco plans to complete the computerization of its processes to strengthen member engagement and their access to financial services. In addition, Magreta supports programs and initiatives such as deposits programs and annual rewards so that the good savers can fulfil Mudi Sacco’s commitment to creating financial empowerment opportunities for members of the community.

Triza’s visionary leadership at Mudi SACCO comprises advanced financial services for underserved communities and spearheaded women’s economic engagement through tailored financial products and education. Her work provides a strong example of how committed cooperative development leadership can foster sustainable social change and empower people to break financial barriers to better leverage their lives and those of their families for the future. The ICUDE designation is a well-earned recognition of Triza’s dedicated service and impact on developing African financial cooperatives.

Women in Finance Empowerment: Triza Tsiga Magreta Selected for Global Women’s Leadership Network Scholarship

Triza Tsiga Magreta, General Manager of Mudi SACCO (Malawi), had been selected, along with 19 exceptional women leaders from Canada, Kenya, Macedonia, Thailand, and beyond, to receive the 2013 Global Women’s Leadership Network Scholarship. The scholarship is a prestigious accolade recognizing the highest achievement of a woman in leadership. It represents Triza’s dedication and impactful leadership while ensuring financial empowerment in Malawi.  

 The scholarship gave Triza the opportunity to attend the Global Women’s Leadership Forum with almost 100 other powerful women and women from 11 different countries, a part of the World Credit Union Conference in Ottawa, Canada. The forum gave Triza the platform to contribute to the society and created opportunities for her to meet new colleagues, engage with and share ideas with influential leaders in credit unions across the globe. She also got an opportunity to collaborate in different ways for developing more inclusive financial systems and uplift the communities.

Triza’s resolute dedication to financial inclusion is apparent in her work at Mudi SACCO, and her belief in economic empowerment (particularly women’s equality) to improve lives and communities has not wavered a little for years. Her participation in the Global Women’s Leadership Forum reinforced her belief in the role of Mudi SACCO as a powerful engine of development, and extended her reach and influence in the credit union movement in Malawi.

The Bottom Line

Triza Tsiga Magreta’s journey is more than a story of success; it encapsulates transformative leadership, enhanced by the intentional quest for resilience and impact. From the academic journey she embarked upon with Atlantic International University, to her trailblazing leadership role at Mudi SACCO, Triza has slayed the course of community development, removed barriers, and demonstrated what leadership can be when operating from a heart and mind. Triza’s work is more than quantitative outputs or transactional milestones; she transforms lives, ignites opportunity and inspires a sense of urgency for a future generation of women to rise, lead and thrive.

What is unmistakable is that Triza is not only changing the narrative of cooperative finance in Malawi – she is re-shaping the future of inclusive, equitable and sustainable development across Africa and beyond.

We need more leaders like Triza—principles-focused leaders, leading with ground-up values based in purpose and pulling others forward with them. And, every step she takes serves as a historic reminder that empowerment occurs at the intersection of education, action, and leadership as a vocation of a higher purpose. Join AIU to make a remarkable difference in society like Triza and begin your leadership journey today!

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Author Bio

Ananya Biswas, Senior Content Strategist at Atlantic International University, blends creativity with strategy to craft compelling narratives. With 9+ years of expertise in content strategizing, creation and marketing, she champions in meeting high quality content standards and empowers global audiences through impactful storytelling and brand engagement.