Crowd Management in Africa: A Systematic Review of Context-Specific Strategies and Gaps

Abstract

Since 1991, over 1200 deaths have occurred due to crowd incidents and stampedes across Africa. Children, the elderly, people with disabilities, and women face higher risks due to limited access to resources and support, while young men are more exposed during political and sporting events. The likelihood of disasters increases with event type, especially when combined with poverty, resource shortages, and weak infrastructure, which can trigger panic, emotional contagion, and suffocation pressures. These events are associated with significant health outcomes, including increased injury/mortality, and contribute to a growing healthcare burden on urban and local systems. High crowd density, along with behavioral triggers, spatial bottlenecks, and poor crowd management, contributes significantly to these incidents. However, existing research and policies remain largely reactive, fragmented, and focused on individual events rather than prevention. This systematic review, based on the PICo framework, identified 201 sources through the literature search, of which 35 studies met the eligibility criteria and were included in final review after the screening process. Findings reveal shared challenges across formal and informal mass gatherings, including overreliance on reactive security measures, weak institutional coordination, and limited consideration of demographic differences. Common issues such as inadequate infrastructure, limited exits, poor communication, and weak crowd-flow management highlight the urgent need for proactive and context-specific strategies.