Indigofera is a large genus of over 750 species of flowering plants belonging to the family Fabaceae. They are widely distributed throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Species of Indigofera are mostly shrubs, though some are small trees or annual or perennial herbs. Most have pinnate leaves. Racemes of flowers grow in the leaf axils. Most species have flowers in shades of red, but there are a few white- and yellow-flowered species. The fruit is a legume pod of varying size and shape.

Indigofera brachystegia is native to Zimbabwe but can also be found in Angola, Burundi, Rwanda, Chad, Nigeria, Togo, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia. It is mostly a shrub but occasionally a suffrutex or small tree.