Ampelocissus africana is a type of vine that is woody, or liana of the grape family, bearing edible fruit. It is native to habitats in, and around forested areas in Guinea, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Central African Republic, Sudan, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania (including the Zanzibar Archipelago, from where the type specimen was collected), Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Botswana. It was originally described botanically in 1790 by João de Loureiro as Botria africanus, which is the basionym for its treatment here under Ampelocissus.