Background and Objectives Voluntary blood donor recruitment and retention in sub‐Saharan Africa needs to be strengthened. To do this, an understanding of the factors underpinning people's willingness or refusal to donate is essential; yet there has been little attention to these in sub‐Saharan African contexts. This overview of studies explores attitudes of blood donors, non‐donors and potential donors towards voluntary blood donation in a range of sub‐Saharan African settings. Materials and Methods A structured literature search was conducted between January and May 2014 based on the Overseas Development Institute's evidence‐focused literature review methodology. Results The review identified 22 individual studies across ten countries in sub‐Saharan Africa. The main barriers to donation related to health concerns and fears and to a lack of knowledge; socio‐cultural and practical barriers were less dominant. Important motivating factors included saving a relative, friend or other person's life, and access to adequate information. Across the studies, respondents reported eagerness to receive a range of incentives besides money. Conclusion Multiple barriers and motivations to donation exist in sub‐Saharan Africa, many of which are common to developed countries. Variations between settings highlight the importance of context‐specific evidence to inform donor recruitment and retention strategies.