In Zimbabwe, much of the nation’s cultural memory and historical knowledge lives beyond official archives and resides in oral traditions, community storytelling, local ceremonies, and the lived experiences of rural and Indigenous populations. This paper explores the rise of community-driven archiving initiatives in Zimbabwe as a means of safeguarding intangible cultural heritage that is often excluded from formal documentary systems. Focusing on grassroots efforts in Zimbabwe, the study examines how communities are using participatory methods to document oral histories, traditional practices, and local knowledge systems. Guided by Post-Custodial Archival Theory, it analyses how these initiatives challenge the dominance of state-controlled archives while redefining archival ownership and agency. These initiatives not only preserve endangered cultural expressions but also serve as acts of resistance against colonial archival legacies that have historically marginalised African voices. Unlike the bureaucratic collections of the National Archives of Zimbabwe, which prioritise textual and governmental records, community-driven archives recognise the legitimacy of embodied knowledge, oral performance, and local epistemologies as valid archival material. Drawing on interviews with local archivists, cultural practitioners, and nongovernmental organisations (NGOs), the paper highlights the ethical, logistical, and technological challenges faced in such efforts, particularly regarding ownership, digital access, and sustainability. It calls for greater institutional support, policy recognition, and collaboration between communities and archival bodies to ensure that Zimbabwe’s intangible heritage is preserved as an essential component of its national documentary record.