Full text can be accessed at http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12686-012-9786-3Fourteen microsatellite loci were isolated from Mesogyne insignis, a threatened, African understory tree. Alleles ranged between two and eight per locus, with expected heterozygosity ranging from 0.063 to 0.845 and observed heterozygosity ranging from 0.000 to 0.733. One locus departed from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium leaving 13 polymorphic loci that will be used to study the genetic variability of fragmented populations so as to enhance the species conservation efforts.