Recent research into construction supply chain, has identified need to pursue the drivers for effective collaborative working in construction project delivery. Identification and implementation of the drivers for effective collaboration is deemed to be the precursor for optimising the benefits of collaborative working in construction project delivery. However, there has been little research that focus on key drivers of collaborative working in the construction sector compared to the manufacturing, production and service delivery sectors. The aim of this study is to identify the key drivers for effective collaborative working in construction project delivery. The study primarily adopted an exploratory qualitative design using interviews on three case study projects that adopted collaborative working in South Africa. The data was analysed using thematic analysis. The results revealed, efficient operational governance practices in team work, effective Integration strategies in team management and people and environmental management strategies as the three main factor drivers for effective collaboration in construction business and project delivery. It further established effective communication, building trust, managerial and employee support & motivation and effective leadership as the under bedding tenets of these driving themes. The findings thus affirmed that the human behavioural and environmental factors cannot be overlooked if effective collaborative working in construction project delivery can be achieved. The drivers for effective collaborative working could be diverse with limited understanding of the key factors in the construction industry. The study has given an understanding of the key drivers of effective collaboration that can help stakeholders and practitioners to operationalise the factors in order to optimise the benefits of collaborative working in construction supply chain.