This small tree or shrub species is widespread in Africa extending to Yemen. It has even been noted as being invasive in Uganda (within its native distribution) following changes to land management (e.g. altering fire regime or grazing system). It has an estimated extent of occurrence of at least 12,246,893 km² and an area of occupancy of at least 1,100 km². It is calculated to have significantly more than 10 locations and is therefore assessed as Least Concern.

This tree species is widespread in the dry area of tropical Africa south of the Sahel, to eastern and Southern Africa. It is also found in Yemen (Wood 1983). It may also be native to Saudi Arabia (Pasiecznik 2013). It has an estimated extent of occurrence of at least 12,246,893 km² and an area of occupancy of at least 1,100 km².

It is thought to be common on hills in Brachystegia woodland in Tanzania (Gillett et al. 1971). In East Africa, it is one of the most common small Acacia species. It has even been noted as being invasive in Uganda (within its native distribution) following changes to land management (e.g. altering fire regime or grazing system) (Pasiecznik 2013).

This species is a shrub or a tree up to 12 m which grows in deciduous woodland, wooded grassland and deciduous and semi-evergreen bush-land (Gillett et al. 1971). It occupies a wide range both of habitat and altitude, from sea level to at least 2,400 m asl. In West Africa, it is found in moister savannah regions of the Guinea zone. In East Africa it is found in deciduous woodland, wooded grassland and deciduous and semi-evergreen bushland, thickets and scrub. It can become common on sloping or rocky ground, and is often associated with poor soils, especially sandy soils, where it often becomes the dominant shrub (Pasiecznik 2013). The foliage and pods are browsed by goats, flowers are eaten by baboons, seed by chimpanzees, and elephants and antelope seek out the dry pods and new leaves after fires (Wickens et al. 1995). The flowers are sweet-scented and are a good source of bee forage (Wickens et al. 1995).

It can stand intensive browsing and is fire tolerant and can resprout vigorously after cutting or burning (Pasiecznik 2013).

It has a variety of uses throughout its range including a source of fuelwood, exudate gum, resins, bark fibre, fodder and medicine. Its thorny branches can be used for cattle pens and fencing. It is a target species for charcoal burning (Pasiecznik 2013). The bark also yields a fibre for rope making and basketry in Tanzania. Small wood is used in rustic construction for homes and shade housing for cattle, and thorny branches are used for cattle pens and fencing. Where common, it is often used as a source of firewood, and the high fixed carbon in the wood makes it ideal for charcoal making (pyrolysis) (Musinguzi et al. 2012). The inside of the bark is edible as a famine food and the inner fibre is chewed for its juice. Inner bark fibre is also chewed for its juice, which has a sweet taste, and the Maasai chew the white inner bark to slake thirst. The species also yields an edible, translucent, reddish exudate gum. Wickens et al. (1995) stated that it is marketed as African gum arabic but is inferior to true gum arabic from Senegalia senegal. Many medicinal uses are reported.

This species is recorded as Least Concern in Burkina Faso and Cameroon (BGCI 2019), as Acacia hockii.