Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder. Although it has many causes including trauma, stroke, neoplasms and infections among others, there is evidence to show that genetics play a significant role in the molecular basis of manifestations of the epilepsy syndrome. Significant strides have been made recently in the field of epilepsy genetics in developed countries, this is yet to be replicated in the sub-Saharan region of Africa. This article seeks to highlight the genetic basis of epilepsy with the potential for improvement in the efficiency of epilepsy care in the context of individualised treatment. Furthermore, there is a need for more research to elucidate probable regional variations in the genetic mechanisms underlying epilepsy with the advent of next- generation sequencing (NGS) methods.