A large proportion of resource poor rural households in southern African communal areas are dependent on wild edible fruits to meet part of their daily nutritional needs. For many people and ethnic groups, the use of wild edible fruits is a source of cultural identity, reflecting a deep and important body of knowledge about the environment, survival, harvesting, preservation and other forms of management. This study was aimed at documenting the role of wild edible fruits in the livelihoods of people in Namibia and Zimbabwe.