The National Archives of Zimbabwe came into being as a result of the passing of the Archives Act in April 1935 whose aim was: “To make provision for the preservation, custody, control and disposal of public records and judicial records of Southern Rhodesia and for matters incidental thereto.” In 1938 further legislation was passed which affected the activities of National Archives; this was the Printed Publications Act. In terms of this Act, the Archives receives a copy of every book, pamphlet, periodical, newspaper and sheet of letter press published in this country. Hence over the years a full-scale library has grown within National Archives.

In 1947 the services of the Archives were extended to Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland, and legislation in each of those countries provided that the archives office of Rhodesia should also be the official archives office for each of them.