The Afrotropical representatives of Ancylorhynchus Berthold, 1827 are reviewed. Two species-groups (reynaudii & nomadus) incorporating 29 species are recognised. New combination: Dasypogon humeralis Wiedemann, 1821 is transferred to Pegesimallus Loew, 1858 (Dasypogoninae) resulting in the new combination Pegesimallus humeralis (Wiedemann, 1821). New name: Ancylorhynchus variegatus (Bigot, 1879), a junior homonym of Dasypogon variabilis Wiedemann, 1817 (junior synonym of Ancylorhynchus glaucius (Rossi, 1790)), is provided with the new name Ancylorhynchus variabilis. Previously described species considered valid within Ancylorhynchus: cruciger (Loew, 1858); elbaiensis Efflatoun, 1937; fulvicollis (Bigot, 1879); funebris Bromley, 1936; hylaeiformis Speiser, 1910; insignis Bromley, 1936; magnificus Bromley, 1936; nomadus (Wiedemann, 1828); nyukinus Speiser, 1910; oldroydi Lindner, 1961; pretoriensis Bromley, 1936; prunus Oldroyd, 1974; reynaudii (Macquart, 1838); susurrus (Karsch, 1879); tricolor (Loew, 1863); unifasciatus (Loew, 1858). New synonyms: Ancylorrhynchus crux Bezzi, 1908 = cruciger; Ancylorrhynchus zonalis Bromley, 1936 = fulvicollis; Pegesimallus tapulus (Walker, 1849) = P. humeralis; Ancylorrhynchus striatus Oldroyd, 1970 = hylaeiformis; Xiphocerus quadrimaculatus Loew, 1858 = reynaudii; Xyphocerus maculatus Bigot, 1879 & Ancylorrhynchus braunsi Bromley, 1936 = tricolor; Ancylorrhynchus munroi Bromley, 1936 = unifasciatus. New species: dilobion (South Africa); doryphorus (Tanzania); feijeni (Mozambique, South Africa); gessi (Namibia); greatheadi (Eritrea); phelpsi (Zimbabwe); similis (Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana); simpsoni (Nigeria); snowi (Gambia); sokokensis (Kenya); whiteheadi (South Africa); zophos (South Africa). Keys and illustrations are provided as identification aids while maps and tables accompany comments relating to distribution, phenology and biology.