OpenStreetMap
Please help me raise funds to purchase the missing sheets from the complete historical 1:50,000 topographic map series of Zimbabwe, formerly Rhodesia.
https://gofund.me/f12d5f3d2
Donate and more information at https://www.gofundme.com/f/purchase-historical-zimbabwe-topographic-maps
Previous donation drives:
- Namibia (South West Africa) - 2008 - https://namibia-topo.openstreetmap.org.za/
- Eswatini (Swaziland): - 2015 - https://eswatini-topo.openstreetmap.org.za/
In the unlikely event that any funds remain after purchasing the Zimbabwe map sheets, they will be used to buy missing sheets from the Lesotho or Malawi 1:50,000 topographic map series, which are planned as future projects.
Discussion
Comment from PizzaTreeIsland on 21 June 2026 at 11:37
Hello, thank you for that initiative! Can you already say what the license situation will be with the map? Will they be available as a source that is compatible with the osm license?
Thank you!
Comment from Firefishy on 21 June 2026 at 12:50
The short answer is: no, these historical map sheets should not be used for tracing into OpenStreetMap. They are a useful historical reference.
The licence situation varies by map series, and I do not want to give a single blanket statement. Many of the sheets are now 50+ years since they were published and are now out of copyright, while for others the copyright position is unclear. For example, with some Department of Overseas Surveys (DOS) sheets covering Eswatini, Zambia and Malawi, the original organisation no longer exists and I have not been able to clearly establish who, if anyone, is the copyright successor.
For the Zimbabwe sheets, I have tried contacting the Surveyor-General without success so far.
My view is that these maps are best treated as a useful historical reference, not as a source for directly adding geometry to OpenStreetMap. They should not be traced into OSM. There is significantly better aerial imagery and modern source material available for mapping current roads, buildings and other features.
Where the historical maps can be useful is for researching factual and historical information, such as older place names, rivers, settlements, railways, roads, schools and other features. Even then, care is needed, as some names and features may have changed over the last 30+ years.
The situation is different for the South African topographic series, where OpenStreetMap has direct usage permission and has had helpful assistance from the Chief Directorate: National Geospatial Information (CD:NGI).
For Namibia, I know the Namibian Surveyor-General is aware of my site, and I have not received any complaints or concerns.
I realise the situation is not ideal, but the aim of the project is to preserve and make accessible important historical map material that is becoming increasingly difficult to find. If I receive any formal concerns or complaints, I will of course respond appropriately and adapt the project where necessary.
Comment from Алексей Чесноков on 30 June 2026 at 18:19
Fire fishy! Help! 😦 Talk to mavl and recall to block of Алексей Чесноков.