Status quo of sustainable development goals localisation in Zimbabwean universities: Students perspectives and reflections

•University students in Zimbabwe generally understand the significance of SDGs.•Most students think SDGs content in university curricula is low.•Student awareness of SDGs is a function of factors other than just the teachers’ knowledge and familiarity.•Science related programmes have the least SDGs localisation effort.•Lack of resources and policy direction are the leading barriers to SDGs localisation. This study examines the perceptions of students about SDG localization in Zimbabwean universities. The study uses a mixed methods research design. The results reveal that students perceive the SDGs as significant in university curricula. Only 39 % confirm satisfactory or high coverage of SDGs content in their curricula. SDGs familiarity varies per discipline. Various challenges inhibit the localization of SDGs in universities. Lack of resources is the key factor. The study concludes that universities in Zimbabwe have not yet localized the SDGs to an 'acceptable or better' level. The study highlights the possibility of improving the pace of SDGs localization.