Limited access to reliable and up-to-date geospatial data remains a major challenge across many African countries, affecting environmental monitoring, urban planning, agriculture, and disaster risk management. Proprietary datasets are often costly or unavailable, creating significant barriers for researchers, students, and local institutions.

This presentation explores how open-source geospatial technologies, particularly QGIS, OpenStreetMap (OSM), and open Earth Observation data such as Sentinel imagery, can help bridge the geospatial data gap in data-scarce regions. Drawing from practical experiences in Zimbabwe and academic work in geomatics and remote sensing, the talk demonstrates accessible workflows for spatial data creation, validation, and analysis using fully open-source tools.

The session will highlight the role of community mapping, youth-led geospatial initiatives, and open data ecosystems in improving spatial data availability across the Global South. It will also discuss challenges related to data quality, technical capacity, and digital inequality, while proposing scalable and inclusive open-source solutions.

This talk aligns with the FOSS4G mission by showcasing how open geospatial software and collaborative mapping can support sustainable development, environmental monitoring, and evidence-based decision-making in underserved regions.