Swalha Msuya joined FINCA Tanzania because she wanted to because she wanted to support women-led businesses and households and fuel local economic growth.

As Manager of FINCA Tanzania’s Mbagala branch, she’s doing just that. She stepped into the role in early 2025, bringing experience from over a decade of working in frontline lending and operations. Across her career, she had seen how financial products are most effective when they reflect the realities of customers’ daily lives. That insight helped her lead a branch turnaround in Tanzania.

A Branch at a Turning Point

Swalha started by making a clear and deliberate shift to a customer-centered strategy. Working with her team, she scaled back higher-risk loans and began to rethink how the branch served its clients, introducing lending models that better matched how people — especially women — earn, save, and run their businesses. This reset made it possible to reach more customers while setting the stage for strong, sustainable performance.

Meeting Customers Where They Are

A core part of Swalha’s strategy involved expanding group-based lending to support financial inclusion in Tanzania. With group loans, customers borrow through solidarity groups that rely on shared responsibility rather than individual collateral, which women often lack. Weekly repayment schedules align more closely with the cash flows of small, informal businesses, and regular engagement with loan officers builds mutual trust and understanding.

The Mbagala branch also introduced asset-backed lending, including a housing loan as part of a FINCA Tanzania pilot that allows both group and individual customers to invest in safer, more stable living conditions without giving up access to business credit. This product addressed a real need in a community where investments in housing and business expenses often overlap within the same household budget.

Outreach was another key element. The Mbagala team held community sessions with local women’s groups, explaining products and responsible borrowing practices face-to-face. Swalha noticed how readily the women supported each other’s progress, a dynamic she has long believed in. “As we say in Tanzania: Mwanamke akiwezeshwa anaweza kufanya zaidi. If you empower women, you empower the whole society.”

Sustainable Progress at FINCA Tanzania

By the end of 2025, the number of active customers at the Mbagala branch had more than doubled, with women accounting for the majority of that growth as group-based and asset-backed lending took off.

Results improved as well. Early repayment issues declined sharply as the branch exited riskier loans and built a portfolio better aligned with customers’ cash flow. Loan performance became more predictable across the portfolio, signaling stronger customer financial health as borrowers consistently managed their loan obligations, and simplifying routine monitoring and follow-up for staff.

These results held up through a turbulent period around Tanzania’s general elections. The Mbagala branch’s steady operations during this time reflected customers’ resilience and highlighted the durability of the initiatives put in place.

Leadership That Drives Growth

Swalha credits her team for the branch’s progress. From the start, she involved staff in planning and decision-making, supported them through training and coaching, and encouraged open dialogue. Their sense of shared direction helped staff members take ownership of new ways of working and sustain momentum through the transformation.

Looking ahead, Swalha remains focused on steady, responsible growth. She plans to build on the branch’s experience with group based lending while continuing to streamline operations through FINCA’s strategic adoption of technology and the digitization of its business model. For now, the results in Mbagala are evident in a branch operating with renewed confidence and a sustainable path forward.

This article first appeared on FINCA.org