The expansion of higher education has created issues with the structure and makeup of universities as well as an increase in student enrolment. As a result, most higher education institutions (HEIs) in South Africa, especially those that were historically underprivileged, are plagued with deteriorated or non-existent physical infrastructure that cannot keep up with the rise in student enrolment. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to assess the venue capacity constraints on teaching and learning in HEIs. The desktop analysis method was used to discover and assess relevant material in the context of venue capacity restrictions on teaching and learning in higher education. This was done by using Google Scholar, ISI, ProQuest and Scopus search engines to find these studies, using terms like overcrowding, venue constraints, students and lecturers and universities in general. The findings of the article reveal that when classrooms become crowded, it may be difficult for lecturers to give each student the individualised attention they need to truly understand the topic. This might result in frustration and mental tiredness, which may reduce student involvement even further. The article concludes that institutions should invest in building bigger lecture halls to help students engage with their lecturers and comprehend the subject matter more thoroughly. Contribution: The study will contribute to theory, managerial and practice by analysing the impacts of overcrowding in HEIs and its effect on students' academic performance.