Abstract
The sustainable supply chains in the Zimbabwean dairy industry and in many developing countries remain a challenge for both farmers and policymakers. Making improvements to the sustainable supply chain performance is a non-negotiable if Zimbabwe wishes to achieve the African Union Agenda 2063 and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Industrialisation Strategy 2063. The primary objective of this research was to examine the resilient supply chains in the dairy sector of Zimbabwe in relation to collaborative mechanisms. This research sought to assess the viability of developing a sustainable supply chain model among participants in the dairy industry. This concept would provide farmers of various scales with the ability to obtain extensive information about their operations and share resources, therefore promoting the achievement of economies of scale for all members. Collaboration, in the context of the business sector, seeks to cultivate alliances by capitalising on individuals’ natural inclination to join groups in order to tackle common challenges and exchange ideas. In order to establish effective solutions, the primary aim of the study was to equip academics and policymakers with a thorough knowledge of the problems encountered by the dairy business. The study sought to clarify effective management and leadership techniques in order to enable those involved in the dairy business to reach their highest level of competence. This research also attempted to make recommendations for the development of collaborative sustainable supply chains in the dairy industry as a means of enhancing the organisational performance of the industry. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from study participants. The sample size was 25 participants, solely for the interviews. The results showed that collaborative, sustainable supply chain variables have a significant effect on the dairy industry’s performance. The study therefore recommends that the dairy industry stakeholders should actively promote effective and efficient collaborative, sustainable supply chain systems that will have a positive impact on the performance of the stakeholders and enhance their capacity for growth and sustainable competitive advantage.