Digitising plant collections in Zimbabwe: Implications for biodiversity data mobilisation and global plant knowledge

Natural history collections underpin botanical research, conservation planning, evidence-based policy formulation and global biodiversity assessments. Digitisation has significantly transformed analogue collections into accessible biodiversity knowledge infrastructures. Ultimately, facilitating research, conservation threat assessments and evidence-based policy reporting, while also revealing the structural challenges faced by most institutions in the Global South. The case of Zimbabwe showcases these dynamics. The country is home to one of the largest plant collections in southern Africa, with its origins tracing back more than a century. However, access to this collection has historically been limited to physical visits to the herbarium. Recent digitisation initiatives, including (i) African Plants Initiative, (ii) Improving Institutional Capacity of National Herbarium as a Plant Biodiversity Information Hub project (iii) the Digitisation of Crop Wild Relatives of Zimbabwe and (iv) other initiatives under the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), have begun to unlock this collection for local, regional and international use. Zimbabwe’s experience demonstrates how strategic prioritisation, capacity building, and partnerships can enable effective mobilisation and digitisation under resource constraints. Simultaneously, the experience highlights the persistent financial, human capital and infrastructural challenges faced by low and middle-income countries in the global South.