Banda overtog posten som præsident efter den tidligere præsident [[Bingu wa Mutharika]]s pludselige død.<ref name = "Mwagiru">{{Cite journal
  | last =  Mwagiru
  | first = Ciugu
  | title = Malawi's Joyce Banda and the rise of women in African politics
  | journal = Daily Monitor online
  | location = Kampala, Uganda
  | date = 18. april 2012
  | url = http://www.monitor.co.ug/artsculture/Reviews/-/691232/1388740/-/diw45/-/
  | access-date =19. april 2012}}</ref> Hun er landets fjerde præsident, og dets første kvindelige. Inden hun blev præsident, var hun også den første kvindelige vicepræsident.<ref name = "Tribune">{{cite journal
  | last = Olamitoke
  | first = Toluwani
  | title = As Fate Throws Leadership In Joyce Banda’s Path...Becomes Malawi’s First Female President
  | journal = Nigerian Tribune
  | date = 14. april 2012
  | url = http://www.tribune.com.ng/sat/index.php/women-affairs/7087-as-fate-throws-leadership-in-joyce-bandas-pathbecomes-malawis-first-female-president.html
  | access-date = 14. april 2012
  | archive-date = 14. april 2012
  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120414171037/http://www.tribune.com.ng/sat/index.php/women-affairs/7087-as-fate-throws-leadership-in-joyce-bandas-pathbecomes-malawis-first-female-president.html
  |url-status=dead
  }}</ref>
Levende_personer Titler Politik Samfund Politiske_embeder