Determinants of Profitability and Sales Growth Among Women-Led Broiler Poultry SMEs in Chongwe District, Zambia: An Explanatory Sequential Mixed-Methods Case Study

Abstract

This study examined the performance of women-led broiler poultry SMEs in Chongwe District, Zambia, with a focus on profitability, sales growth, and business survival beyond 12 months. To achieve this, four specific objectives were established: to establish the levels and patterns of enterprise performance; to determine the influence of access to finance on profitability, sales growth, and also business survival 12 months; to examine the effect of market access on enterprise outcomes; and to analyse the influence of socio-cultural responsibilities on business performance. Using an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design (QUAN = QUAL), the study first analyzed survey data from women-led broiler poultry SMEs in Chongwe District (n = 35) and subsequently conducted semi-structured interviews with a purposive sub-sample of surveyed SMEs (n = 30) to explain qualitative patterns. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics (means, frequencies, and percentages), correlation analysis, multiple regression, and logistic regression, while qualitative data were analysed thematically. The findings revealed that enterprise performance was moderate but uneven, with mean profitability of 25.87% and sales growth of 25.25%, while 84.4% of businesses survived beyond 12 months. A majority of respondents reported regulatory challenges and work–family balance constraints, while feed was identified as the major cost factor. The regression results showed that access to finance significantly improves profitability (β = 0.425, p < 0.001) and sales growth (β = 0.322, p < 0.001), while market access had strong positive effects on both profitability (β = 0.311) and sales growth (β = 0.419). In contrast, socio-cultural constraints negatively affected profitability (β = -0.186) and sales growth (β = -0.188). Logistic regression results further indicated that profitability increases the likelihood of survival, whereas socio-cultural constraints reduce survival odds. Qualitative findings explained these patterns by highlighting mechanisms of input-cost volatility, regulatory navigation burdens, limited institutional responsiveness, and time poverty associated with gendered household responsibilities. The study concludes that women-led broiler SME performance in Chongwe is shaped by an interacting constraint configuration and proposes an evidence-based framework and actionable recommendations prioritizing regulatory navigation support, time-accessible service delivery, feed-cost resilience strategies, improved record-keeping, and inclusive institutional participation protocols. The study concludes that women-led broiler poultry SME performance is influenced by financial access, market conditions, and socio-cultural pressures, and recommends targeted interventions to improve access to finance, market linkages, and support systems for women entrepreneurs.