This short study highlights the impact of open access in the Global South. Featuring collaborative open access initiatives in Algeria, Kenya, Myanmar, Nigeria, Nepal, Palestine, Tanzania, Uganda and Latin American countries, it showcases success and describes the challenges that we still face. It also questions a notion of a journal article – perhaps already becoming obsolete – and discusses the growing preprints initiatives to speed up the availability of research results. The value of regional journal and repository networks enhancing open access content in Europe and Latin America is also discussed as well as the impact human networks make in the Global South.