Summary After many years of development, rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for malaria are now being rolled out in many African countries to support the introduction of artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACT). RDTs create new opportunities both for improved care and as research tools, but it is important that the research agenda continues to address the many challenges, both operational and technical, that still need to be met. Here we review what is known and what new evidence is needed to maximise the utility of RDTs in Africa.