It occurs from The Gambia to Ethiopia, from Gabon to Kenya, and from Angola to Mozambique, and in the Limpopo Province in the northern parts of South Africa.

Oxytenanthera abyssinica is a drought-resistant species of bamboo that grows in savanna woodland, semi-arid wooded grassland and thicket.

[11] Using seed from the most recent flowering event this entity has used Oxytenanthera abyssinica for the regeneration of degraded agricultural lands in South Africa's Eastern Cape.

[12] Kenyan entity Kitil Farm [13] has developed a resource base of Oxytenanthera abyssinica seedlings in Isinya.

In South Africa, it is classified as Data Deficient: taxonomically problematic, which means it is likely to be threatened since its native habitat and range is under threat but it's not well-defined.