The Real fan palm (Hyphaene petersiana), locally known as the Makalani palm, is a palm tree native to the subtropical, low-lying regions of south central Africa. Its habitat is open woodland, flood plains, banks of rivers and the fringes of pans and swamps. It is found in Burundi, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Angola, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and the northern and north-eastern Transvaal. African palm swifts and rufous-tailed palm-thrushes regionally depend on this species for breeding.