Mimusops caffra is a small to medium-sized tree.
The stem is up to 50 cm (20 in) in diameter, often gnarled or twisted with dark grey bark which is wrinkled longitudinally.
These trees may reach 15–25 m (49–82 ft) in height, but are shorter on the seaward side of the dunes  where they rarely exceed 5m tall and where the foliage suffers under salt spray and sea winds.
It may be dominant in sheltered dune forest behind the littoral zone, where it can reach 20 m (66 ft) in height with some protection from the salt wind where forests develop with canopies as tall as 30 m (98 ft).

The leaves are alternate, hard and leathery with rounded or blunt tips.
Older leaves are blue-green above and paler on the underside.
Young leaves are light green.

The creamy-white star-like flowers are 10–20 mm (0.39–0.79 in) in diameter and found in small bunches in the leaf axils.

The fruits are about 15–20 mm (0.59–0.79 in) long and are fat, roundish to oval, red or orange-red when ripe, with a sweet starchy pulp and containing a single oval, shiny brown or blackish seed.
Mimusops caffra is a small to medium-sized tree. The stem is up to 50 cm (20 in) in diameter, often gnarled or twisted with dark grey bark which is wrinkled longitudinally. These trees may reach 15–25 m (49–82 ft) in height, but are shorter on the seaward side of the dunes  where they rarely exceed 5m tall and where the foliage suffers under salt spray and sea winds. It may be dominant in sheltered dune forest behind the littoral zone, where it can reach 20 m (66 ft) in height with some protection from the salt wind where forests develop with canopies as tall as 30 m (98 ft).
The leaves are alternate, hard and leathery with rounded or blunt tips. Older leaves are blue-green above and paler on the underside. Young leaves are light green.
The creamy-white star-like flowers are 10–20 mm (0.39–0.79 in) in diameter and found in small bunches in the leaf axils.
The fruits are about 15–20 mm (0.59–0.79 in) long and are fat, roundish to oval, red or orange-red when ripe, with a sweet starchy pulp and containing a single oval, shiny brown or blackish seed.
Mimusops caffra