Genus often subsumed in Nectarinia. May form a superspecies with Golden-winged Sunbird (Drepanorhynchus reichenowi) and has sometimes been considered conspecific with Stuhlmann's Double-collared Sunbird (Cinnyris stuhlmanni), Prigogine's Double-collared Sunbird (Cinnyris prigoginei) and Montane Double-collared Sunbird (Cinnyris ludovicensis). In addition, an undescribed taxon apparently close to present species, but probably closer to Montane Double-collared Sunbird (Cinnyris ludovicensis) (of subspecies whytei) or to Eastern Miombo Sunbird (Cinnyris manoensis), has recently been discovered in Eastern Arc mountains of Tanzania and in north-eastern Zambia. Subspecies intergrade in south-western Eastern Cape. Subspecies saliens regarded by some authors as being of dubious validity.
The following 2 subspecies are recognised:
afer (Linnaeus, 1766) - Southern South Africa (southern western Cape and south-western eastern Cape).
saliens (Clancey, 1962) - Eastern South Africa (Limpopo Province and north-eastern Gauteng south to north-western KwaZulu-Natal and southern eastern Cape), western Swaziland and eastern Lesotho.
BirdLife International Species Factsheet