It is commonly known as the dune soap-berry and is found in coastal vegetation from the Eastern Cape of South Africa, through KwaZulu-Natal[1] to southern Mozambique and Eswatini.

[1] The dune soap-berry may be confused with a young forest mahogany (Trichilia dregeana) because of the similar shaped compound leaves, however the dune soap-berry has paler green slightly matt leaves compared to the forest mahogany, which has a darker green leaf that is slightly more glossy.

[2] The leaves of the dune soap-berry are also hard textured (when mature) and not held flat as in Trichilia dregeana.

[2] The flowers attract hordes of insects[3] including; moths, butterflies, bees, wasps, ants[1] and beetles.

The larvae of the African peach moth (Egybolis vaillantina) also feed on the leaves,[5][6] and the fruit are also eaten by birds (including the sombre greenbul (Andropadus importunus)[2]) and monkeys.