Background: Community engagement is essential for effective epidemic and pandemic preparedness and response. However, existing reviews often focus on conceptual models rather than practical strategies, and few incorporate evidence from the COVID-19 pandemic. To address this gap, this scoping review aims to identify and synthesize strategies used to engage community members during epidemic and pandemic responses in Sub-Saharan Africa. Methods: We conducted a scoping review using the PRISMA-ScR and the methodological framework from Arksey and O’Malley. We searched six databases (EMBASE, PubMed, EBSCO-host, CINAHL, Global Health, Web of Science) and Google Scholar for peer-reviewed literature, and also reviewed gray literature from health ministries and international organisations. A total of 88 documents were included. Data were thematically analysed and mapped using the Gilmore et al. framework for community engagement in infectious disease control. Results: Among the six broad types of engagement identified, social and behavioural communication (SBCC) was the most commonly used strategy across all disease contexts. COVID-19 and Ebola responses emphasized communication and surveillance, while polio and HIV/AIDS response incorporated culturally embedded, locally led approaches. Key enablers included trust, pre-existing networks, and decentralisation; barriers included misinformation, resource constraints, and exclusion of marginalised groups. Most strategies stopped short of full community ownership. Conclusion: Effective community engagement requires tailored, context-specific approaches that go beyond information sharing to foster shared decision-making and local ownership. This review provides a comprehensive synthesis of the strategies for community engagement used in sub-Saharan Africa and highlights the need for more robust implementation research to evaluate the implementation of the strategies and ultimately to support transformative, community-led epidemic response. The protocol for this review was registered in Open Science Framework with registration DOI: [https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/D478Z](https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/D478Z)