Combretum vendae is a multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub of 1.5–3.0 m high, occasionally a small tree of 4–5 m high. The main stems, fairly widely spaced at ground level, arise from a substantial root system. On the main stem, the bark is smooth, with inconspicuous, longitudinal reticulation, similar to C. kraussi, C. erythrophyllum, C. caffrum and C. woodii. The colour is medium grey with lighter grey areas arranged in more or less, circumferential bands. The previous year’s growth is light brownish, whereas the water shoots that arise from old wood, are about 1 m long and the young branchlets densely covered with white or greyish hairs. This plant is deciduous, but leaves on the lower growth may persist until the following spring. They are simple, opposite, broadly elliptic to obovate, 40–80 × 25–45 mm, medium green above, grey-green below, velvety or glabrous (hairless). The apex is rounded, forming a slender tip, sometimes twisted; the base is rounded to shallowly lobed; the margin is entire and the petiole 2 mm long. The upper surface is waxy, the lower surface has raised veining.

Inflorescences are in the axils of the leaves (axillary), along the previous year’s growth. They are rounded heads, 15–20 mm long, of 20–25 flowers. The flowers are cream-coloured to yellowish; the sepals have a little bit of red or purple. Flowering occurs in spring, between mid-September and mid-October. After flowering, a 4-winged fruit appears, sometimes 3-winged, up to 22 × 15 mm, with wings up to 6 mm wide. The fruits are green, flushed pink or red at first, but turn wine red later. They are produced in autumn and winter (March to August).

Two varieties are recognised: var. vendae with leaves that are glabrous (hairless) above and tomentose below (densely covered with short, rigid hairs), a waxy layer on the leaves, and the upper and lower leaf surfaces are usually noticeably of different colours; var. vendae tends to predominate in the eastern parts of the range; and var. glabratum, which has leaves that are hairless on the upper and lower surface or occasionally sparsely hairy on the lower surface, also with a waxy layer, but the leaf surfaces are not discolorous. This form predominates in the western part of its range.