The leaves of Diospyros austro-africana var. austro-africana are spirally to randomly arranged around the stems, more of them seen near stem-tips than lower down.

The narrowly obovate leaves are paler on their lower surfaces where there is a dense(r) covering of velvety hairs. Leaf tips are pointed or rounded, many of them erect in the photo.

The leaves are stiff and leathery. Leaf dimensions are given as 1 cm to 3 cm long and 0,5 cm to 1 cm wide; here probably narrower (Coates Palgrave, 2002; Van Wyk and Van Wyk, 1997; iSpot; www.pza.sanbi.org).