Received: 2025-06-15  |  Accepted: 2025-09-21  |  Published: 2025-12-30

Title

Collaborative practices within supply chain management activities among small and medium enterprises (SMEs): a case study of South Africa


Abstract

As global business environments get more challenging, supply chain management (SCM) has embraced cooperation to increase effectiveness, cut costs, and improve customer experiences. The study assesses the current practice and status of collaboration, evaluates the factors that influence collaborative practices among small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The study applied a qualitative research method through the interpretivism paradigm and employed semi-structured interviews to acquire substantive data from the SMEs operating in the local environment. Results were concluded as they were examined through thematic analysis. It is evident that collaboration enhances supply chain performance and fosters innovation, trust, and operational efficiency. Key drivers include market development, competitive edge, better product quality, and innovation. The study adds value to the extant SCM literature by providing useful suggestions to enhance inter-SME partnerships that may enhance sustainable supply chain practices. The findings accruing from the research studies are beneficial to business managers, who wish to enhance SCM effectiveness and competitive advantage in similar geographical environments.


Keywords

collaboration, drivers, innovators, small and medium enterprise (SME), supply chain management (SCM)


JEL classifications

D22 , D23


URI

http://jssidoi.org/ird/article/217


DOI


Pages

21-33


Funding


This is an open access issue and all published articles are licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

Authors

Ndlovu, Hluli
University of Venda, Thohoyandou, South Africa https://www.univen.ac.za
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Nkondo, Livhuwani G.
University of Venda, Thohoyandou, South Africa https://www.univen.ac.za
Articles by this author in: CrossRef |  Google Scholar

Manchidi, Ntise Hendrick
University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa https://www.unisa.ac.za
Articles by this author in: CrossRef |  Google Scholar

Journal title

Insights into Regional Development

Volume

7


Number

4


Issue date

December 2025


Issue DOI


ISSN

ISSN 2345-0282 (online)


Publisher

VšĮ Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Center, Vilnius, Lithuania

Cited

Google Scholar

Article views & downloads

HTML views: 218  |  PDF downloads: 161

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