Mercy Ndoro honoured as Chief Executive Officer of the Year at Africa Dairy Industry Awards 2026

ZIMBABWE – Mercy Ndoro, Group Chief Executive Officer of Dairibord Holdings Limited (Dairibord Zimbabwe), has been recognised as Chief Executive Officer of the Year at the Africa Dairy Industry Awards 2026.

The accolade was presented during a ceremony co-located with the Africa Dairy Innovation Summit on 17 April 2026.

The recognition of Mercy Ndoro as Chief Executive Officer of the Year at the Africa Dairy Industry Awards 2026 highlights her outstanding leadership in steering Dairibord Zimbabwe.

The company is one of southern Africa’s largest and most diversified dairy and beverage manufacturers, despite economic challenges, while driving innovation, sustainability, and market leadership in Zimbabwe’s dairy sector.

Mercy Ndoro has served as Group CEO of Dairibord Holdings Limited since 2022. The company traces its roots to 1953 as the state-owned Dairy Marketing Board (DMB), which held the national mandate for milk collection and processing.

It was privatised in 1997, becoming the first state enterprise in Zimbabwe to do so, and was restructured as Dairibord Holdings Limited in 2006 to separate the holding and operating companies.

Under her leadership, the organisation has strengthened its position as Zimbabwe’s largest milk processor and a major player in foods and beverages. Dairibord operates seven factories across key cities including Harare, Chitungwiza, Bulawayo, Gweru, Kadoma, Mutare, and Chipinge.

It also owns Lyons Zimbabwe (beverages and ice creams) and M.E. Charhons (biscuits and baking), and holds a majority stake in Dairibord Malawi.

Key achievements during her tenure include significant capital expenditure investments (over US$12 million in 2025 alone) to boost processing capacity, efficiency, and cost management amid macroeconomic pressures.

The company has continued to scale milk procurement, reporting an 44% increase in one recent quarter to 11.8 million litres sourced from small- and large-scale farmers.

Dairibord maintains strong brands that command first or second position in their categories, with a diversified portfolio spanning short- and long-shelf-life milks, flavoured dairy drinks, fermented products, ice creams, cordials, sauces, spreads, and innovative value-added lines.

Notable innovations under her watch include the award-winning Cascade Baobab dairy-fruit juice blend, which combines milk with baobab pulp sourced from arid rural communities in Chirundu, Chipinge, and Birchenough.

This product earned global recognition as a finalist in the International Dairy Federation Dairy Innovation Awards, demonstrating Dairibord’s commitment to sustainable sourcing, product diversification, and community empowerment aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Dairibord sources milk from a broad network of Zimbabwean dairy farmers and employs a substantial workforce across its operations.

The company has focused on operational resilience, technology adoption for quality control and efficiency, and strategic partnerships to ensure reliable farmer payments and market access in a sector dominated by smallholder production.

Dairibord Holdings Limited continues to receive recognition for its market leadership and innovation, reflecting the impact of its growth and operational excellence under Ndoro’s stewardship.

Mercy Ndoro’s leadership has emphasised innovation, value addition, sustainability, operational efficiency, and inclusive growth in a challenging economic environment.

Her tenure has seen the company reinforce its integrated model of collection, processing, branding, and distribution while upholding strong governance, community engagement, and resilience.

This award acknowledges Mercy Ndoro’s individual contributions to executive leadership, strategic innovation, product diversification, sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of Zimbabwe’s dairy value chain as a transformative CEO in Africa’s dairy industry.

About the Africa Dairy Industry Awards

The Africa Dairy Industry Awards, held annually alongside the Africa Dairy Innovation Summit, celebrate excellence, leadership, innovation, and sustainability across the continent’s dairy value chain, from production and processing to technology, food safety, value addition, and market development.

Categories include Dairy Industry Persons of the Year (such as Most Influential Dairy Person, Chief Executive Officer of the Year), Dairy Product Innovations of the Year, Dairy Processor of the Year, and others for cooperatives, investments, and commercial farms.

The awards recognise outstanding contributions by individuals, organisations, and projects, bringing together farmers, processors, cooperatives, researchers, policymakers, and investors to promote best practices and greater competitiveness in the sector.

Full details are available at https://africadairysummit.com/awards/.

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