It has extremely hard, dense and attractive timber, and is only spared from intense exploitation because of its strongly twisted trunk which does not lend itself to long planks, and its tendency to develop heart rot.

[2] The bark is rough, dark grey and flaking, while the strong, paired hooked thorns are a formidable deterrent on young plants.

A number of proteracacinidins (proanthocyanidins) have been isolated from the heartwood, and several cyanogenic glycosides from the leaves[299] The magical uses in South Africa are numerous.

It is used in money and love spells and the burned wood stimulates psychic powers In common with other Acacias and Senegalias, the bark and leaves are rich in tannins such as proteracacinidin.

[6][7][8] The original etymology of its previous species epithet "caffra" is related to kaffir, an ethnic slur used towards black people in Africa.