Poor cancer survival outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) have been linked to delays in diagnosis and treatment. Here we present a detailed overview of the qualitative literature evaluating the barriers to receiving timely diagnosis and treatment of cancer in SSA. The PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO databases were searched to identify qualitative studies reporting on barriers to timely diagnosis of cancer in SSA published between 1995 and 2020. A systematic review methodology was applied, including quality assessment and narrative data synthesis. We identified 39 studies, of which 24 focused on breast or cervical cancer. Only one study focused on prostate cancer and one on lung cancer. When exploring factors contributing to delays, six key themes emerged from the data. The first theme was health service barriers, which included: (i) inadequate numbers of trained specialists; (ii) limited knowledge of cancer among healthcare providers; (iii) poor co-ordination of care; (iv) inadequately resourced health facilities; (v) negative attitudes of healthcare providers towards patients; (vi) high cost of diagnostic and treatment services. The second key theme was patient preference for complementary and alternative medicine; the third was the limited understanding of cancer among the population. The fourth barrier was a patient's personal and family obligations; the fifth was the perceived impact of cancer and its treatment on sexuality, body image and relationships. Finally, the sixth was the stigma and discrimination faced by patients following a diagnosis of cancer. In conclusion, health system, patient level and societal factors all influence the likelihood of timely diagnosis and treatment for cancer in SSA. The results provide a focus for targeting health system interventions, particular with regards to awareness and understanding of cancer in the region.