Portulacaria longipedunculata is only known from the northern Namib Desert, growing both in northwestern Namibia from Sesfontein District in the south. to southwestern Angola. It grows on various geological formations such as dolomite, sandstone, or granite. Plants grow in Desert and dry Savanna at altitude of between 500 and 2 000 m.

Near Caranculo in southwestern Angola plants were observed on granite hills growing on a western slope. They share their habitat with other succulents such as Commiphora discolor, Commiphora wildii, Kleinia longiflora, Euphorbia gracilicaulis, Euphorbia mauritanica and Talinum caffrum. At Iona Peak in the Iona National Park, southwestern Angola, plants grow in arid mountain savanna on sandstone, among plants such as Adenia repanda, Euphorbia eduardoi, Euphorbia guerichiana, Euphorbia otjingandu, Senegalia montis-usti, Sterculia africana, Sterculia quinqueloba,  Commiphora discolor, Cyphostemma currorii, Turnera oculata var. paucipilosa, Strophanthus amboensis and Kleinia longiflora. At Middelberg, northern Kaokoveld in northwesterm Namibia, plants were observed growing on the mountain peak among dolomite and quartzitic sandstone with Aloe hereroensis, Cussonia angolensis, Ficus cordata, Euphorbia otjingandu, Huernia urceolata, Tinospora fragosa, Obetia carruthersiana, Portulacaria carrissoana and Sansevieria pearsonii.

Rainfall is sparse, the region receives between 50 and about 100 mm per annum, during spring and autumn. The summers are very hot, temperatures often over 40°C in summer. Winters are warm during the day and nights are cooler and without frost.

Fig. 4. Portulacaria longipedunculata growing among granite rocks in the Namib Desert, on the exposed western slope of a granite hill a few km west of Caranculo, southwestern Angola; the tall shrub is Commiphora discolor.