Edible insects have sparked more research interest as a cheap alternative protein source to replace soya bean and fish meal in animal diets due to their good nutritional value. In general, information on various insects has been widely researched globally. In Africa, the available literature focused more on traditional harvesting of edible insects for use as food and feed. The collection of insects in the wild is considered unsustainable since it leads to overharvesting, endangering and extinction of insects, consequently destabilising the ecosystem. This review discusses and compares the recent findings on the nutritional composition of common African edible insects with nutrient requirements of livestock. This is followed by compiled data of their proximate composition, amino acid, mineral, fatty acids and vitamin contents as derived from the literature. The review also describes insect availability, quantity, quality and production systems used to rear insects for animal feeding in Africa. Insect market demand, benefits and challenges of producing insects as livestock feed are summarised. Lastly, the legislations and regulations imposed on insect harvesting and rearing are thoroughly discussed. The current review findings will provide valuable answers to the present status of sustainable insect production in Africa to meet animal nutrient requirements.

由于其良好的营养价值，食用昆虫作为一种廉价的替代蛋白质来源在动物饮食中替代大豆和鱼粉引起了更多的研究兴趣。总的来说，关于各种昆虫的信息已在全球范围内得到广泛研究。在非洲，可用的文献更多地关注传统的食用昆虫收获作为食物和饲料。在野外收集昆虫被认为是不可持续的，因为它会导致昆虫的过度捕捞、濒危和灭绝，从而破坏生态系统的稳定。本综述讨论并比较了最近关于非洲常见食用昆虫的营养成分与牲畜营养需求的研究结果。接下来是它们的近似成分、氨基酸、矿物质、来自文献的脂肪酸和维生素含量。该评论还描述了非洲用于饲养昆虫以供动物饲养的昆虫可用性、数量、质量和生产系统。总结了昆虫市场需求、生产昆虫作为牲畜饲料的好处和挑战。最后，深入讨论了有关昆虫采集和饲养的法律法规。目前的审查结果将为非洲可持续昆虫生产的现状提供有价值的答案，以满足动物的营养需求。深入讨论了关于昆虫采集和饲养的立法和条例。目前的审查结果将为非洲可持续昆虫生产的现状提供有价值的答案，以满足动物的营养需求。深入讨论了关于昆虫采集和饲养的立法和条例。目前的审查结果将为非洲可持续昆虫生产的现状提供有价值的答案，以满足动物的营养需求。