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Monday 9am - 5:30pm Tuesday 9am - 5:30pm Wednesday 9am - 5:30pm Thursday 9am - 5:30pm Friday 9am - 5:30pm

MicroLoan Foundation

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MicroLoan Foundation

Women’s empowerment and poverty alleviation organisation working in sub-Saharan Africa

Providing the tools and skills to enable the poorest women in sub- Saharan Africa to work their own way out of poverty.

25/09/2026

As the microfinance sector continues to evolve, so too should the way we think about and measure impact.

Creating successful entrepreneurs is one important aspect, but financial inclusion is also about giving people the tools and opportunities to build more secure lives, manage uncertainty, withstand shocks, support their families and exercise greater economic agency.

For MicroLoan Foundation, this means looking beyond traditional measures of microfinance and asking a broader question: What difference does access to finance make to a woman's life?

The answer might be a growing business. It might be children staying in school. It might be better food security, improved financial resilience or the confidence to plan for the future. Often, it is all of these things.

Because ultimately, the goal of financial inclusion isn't just to help women build businesses. It's to give women greater control over their economic lives, and the opportunity to build a better future for themselves, their families and their communities.

Read more about how we measure success here: https://zurl.co/s09Xl

Photo: Gary Nicol

23/09/2026

Shila, 23, runs a shoe business in Mumbwa, Zambia. She chose this business because it’s not affected by the seasons.

She saw how severe drought devastated her country and destroyed harvests. Shila wanted to grow a stable, resilient business and improve her life.

Before being introduced to MicroLoan Foundation by her grandmother, Shila could only afford to eat twice a day. “Being in MicroLoan has changed my life because I have capital to manage my business and my family is benefitting as I support them” she says.

She says that MicroLoan Foundation has encouraged her to build savings and invest in her business.

For more stories like this, please visit the Success Stories page of our website.

21/09/2026

What does meaningful impact look like beyond the metrics?

For Whitney Mutale, it begins with understanding the people behind every data point.

As Social Performance Manager at MicroLoan Foundation Zambia, Whitney plays a pivotal role in ensuring that the organisation’s commitment to women entrepreneurs is embedded in the design, delivery and continuous improvement of its services.

His work integrates client insights, evidence-based analysis and responsible finance practices to provide a clear understanding of what is working, where challenges persist and how the organisation can strengthen outcomes for the women it serves.

For Whitney, social performance extends far beyond data collection and reporting. It is a strategic discipline that drives accountability, learning and lasting impact. It requires asking the questions that matter most:

Are our clients genuinely benefiting?
Are we actively listening and responding to their needs?
Are we safeguarding their wellbeing and financial resilience?
And are we contributing to sustainable, long-term change?

"Impact becomes meaningful when we can clearly see the difference our work makes in people’s lives. My role is to help ensure that we continue listening, continue learning and continuously improve the way we serve our clients."

Whitney is passionate about fostering a culture where evidence, client voices and responsible practice inform decision-making at every level. Through this approach, he helps MicroLoan Foundation Zambia grow responsibly, strengthen client trust and remain firmly aligned with its social mission.

Because every client represents far more than a number. She represents a business, a family, a community and a future filled with greater opportunity.

18/09/2026

We’re excited to share some good news from Malawi!

MicroLoan Foundation Malawi is partnering with the Halcrow Foundation to expand our work in Nkhata Bay.

The Halcrow Foundation is a UK charity that grew out of the response of Halcrow employees to the 2004 Asian tsunami. Since becoming a charity in 2005, it has supported grassroots organisations working to improve livelihoods and living conditions for communities facing hardship across Africa, Asia and the UK.

The Foundation has supported MicroLoan’s work since 2020, including our programmes supporting women in Zambia.

In Nkhata Bay, our work currently operates through a satellite office. This partnership will help us build towards a full branch, allowing us to have a stronger local presence and reach more women with loans, business training and financial literacy support.

The aim is not simply to grow the number of women we serve. It is to build an operation that can become financially sustainable over time.

A branch typically takes around two to three years to reach this point, as it grows its client base and loan portfolio.
We’re grateful to the Halcrow Foundation for helping us take this next step, and we’re looking forward to seeing more women in Nkhata Bay grow their businesses and strengthen their livelihoods.

Thank you for believing in the women we serve and in the work we do.

16/09/2026

Meet Lwisa, a smallholder farmer from Mpongwe, Zambia. She’s run her farm for a long time and it has grown over time, producing vegetables like cabbages and tomatoes.

2024 was a hard year for Lwisa when her entire harvest was ruined by a severe drought. MicroLoan Foundation helped Lwisa and other smallholders to pick themselves back up again, allowing them to top-up their loans and delay their repayments. Lwisa used her loan to buy new seeds and fertiliser.

Her profits have grown from 2.7k kwacha to 4.5k kwacha and she’s now better able to provide for herself, and her children and grandchildren.

Lwisa longs for them to have a better life and stay in education until university level.

Lwisa’s is just one of the inspiring stories we hear from our clients. If you’d like to read more like this, please subscribe to our newsletter on our website.

15/09/2026

We were delighted to partner with GMCC 2026, giving students the opportunity to tackle a real challenge facing MicroLoan Foundation, how to grow our impact while staying true to the women and communities we serve.

And they brought the ideas!

A big congratulations to:
• Pacifica Capital from The University of Queensland
• The Big 4 from Kamala nehru college
• Macrofinance Initiative from The University of Melbourne (First-Year Prize)
• Team Avengers from Hindu College

Thank you for challenging us, thinking differently and reminding us that great ideas can come from anywhere.

We’ll be watching what you do next.

07/09/2026

Behind every number is a woman. Behind every loan is a story. And behind every impact measurement is an opportunity to listen, learn and do better.

As Social Performance Manager at MicroLoan Foundation Malawi, Kate NKhwimba plays an important role in ensuring that the women we serve remain at the centre of our work.

Kate's role is more than measuring impact. It is about understanding the experiences of our clients, listening to their needs and using those insights to help strengthen the way we deliver responsible, client-centred financial services.

For Kate, meaningful social performance means asking the questions that matter: Are we reaching the women who need us? Are our services helping them build stronger businesses and livelihoods? Are we protecting their interests? And, most importantly, are we creating lasting change?

“For me, social performance is about keeping the woman at the centre of every decision. When we listen to her experience, we learn how to serve her better and create impact that lasts.”

Kate is passionate about helping MicroLoan Foundation Malawi turn client voices and evidence into action, strengthening accountability, responsible finance and the organisation's commitment to empowering women entrepreneurs.

04/09/2026

The women we work with are among the poorest in the world.

Today, 83% of new MicroLoan Foundation clients are living below the poverty line, surviving on less than $2.50 a day. Many live in remote rural communities where access to banks, financial services and business support is almost non-existent.

Many also left school early. Generations of poverty mean opportunities for education were limited, leaving many women with low levels of literacy and few formal employment prospects.

Yet these women are resourceful, determined and full of entrepreneurial potential. They don't lack ambition, they simply lack opportunity.

That's why we've designed every part of our model around the realities of the women we serve.

Unlike many financial institutions, we don't require collateral, previous business experience or savings before someone can receive a loan. Our Loan & Training Officers travel by bicycle and motorbike to reach isolated communities, ensuring women aren't excluded simply because of where they live.

02/09/2026

Before joining MicroLoan Foundation, profits from Lunati’s agricultural store were stretched to breaking point. With a household of four to provide for, she and her children often went without breakfast, and sometimes lunch too. “I was starving before,” she says.

With support from MicroLoan Foundation, Lunati has diversified her business by adding groceries to her shop. Her profits have now doubled and she can now afford to feed her family three times a day, pay for her children’s school fees and provide care for her parents. “I am now living a settled life,” she says.

She likes the fact that MicroLoan Foundation allows her to pay off her loan little by little, unlike other microfinance providers.

Lunati’s goal is to be completely financially independent and for her children to be able to complete their education.

31/08/2026

Mateo Zanetic leads MicroLoan Foundation's operations across Southern Africa, driving strategic growth, operational excellence and greater financial inclusion for women entrepreneurs.

As Regional Director for Africa, Mateo works alongside leadership teams in Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa to strengthen performance, scale sustainable impact and ensure the delivery of high-quality, client-centred financial services. He also leads the Group's Social Performance Management function, championing responsible finance and client protection across every market.

In addition to his regional responsibilities, Mateo serves as Chief Executive Officer of MicroLoan Foundation South Africa, where he is leading the organisation's newest country programme and expanding access to financial services for women entrepreneurs.

As a Board member of MicroLoan Foundation's subsidiaries across the region, Mateo provides strategic oversight that supports effective governance, innovation and long-term organisational sustainability. He holds a degree in Management Accounting and Corporate Finance from the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits University).

"Sustainable impact happens when we combine strong leadership with local understanding, responsible finance and an unwavering commitment to the women we exist to serve."

Mateo is passionate about building high-performing organisations that deliver measurable impact while creating opportunities for women to build businesses, strengthen their communities and shape a more inclusive future.

Address

1-2 Paris Garden
London
SE18ND

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5:30pm
Tuesday	9am - 5:30pm
Wednesday	9am - 5:30pm
Thursday	9am - 5:30pm
Friday	9am - 5:30pm

Website

https://www.microloanfoundation.org.uk/about-us/contact-us/

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