Plant fibers are becoming popular in polymer composites because of their eco-friendliness and natural availabilities at lower cost than synthetic fibers. The kenaf fiber as reinforcement has shown better specific properties than glass fiber because of its low density. Thus, it will be crucial in composite development for structural industrial components along with other natural and artificial fiber with thermoset polymer matrix. This paper presents a review of kenaf fiber reinforced thermoset composites (KFTCs) and their hybrids. First, a brief overview of the basic components of KFTCs, and detailed insight into the fabrication techniques and performance of KFTCs and their hybrids are presented. KFTCs and their hybrid composites are explored in detail, especially for the mechanical, thermal-physical, water absorption, and durability properties to provide the space to narrate the development of ideas and our current understanding of this research field. After that matrix modification and fiber modification as alternate solutions to improve performance of KFTCs and their hybrids are reviewed. Finally, the application and the future potential scope of KFTCs and their hybrids are addressed. It is anticipated that this review paper will become a reliable reference on the performance optimization of KFTCs and their hybrids. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V. part of Springer Nature.