Through its Africa Task Force for Novel Coronavirus (AFTCOR) Laboratory Technical Working Group, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has developed guidance on ‘Building Testing Capacity for Epidemic-Prone Diseases’. The aim of this guidance is to enhance the surveillance and diagnostic capacity of African Union (AU) member states. The guidance provides the recommended testing approaches for surveillance and clinical diagnosis of epidemic-prone diseases, and details on the diagnostic technologies and laboratory capacity needed to conduct testing.