Thirty-five species of Chordodes have been reported from Africa. The original description of several of these species is incomplete and needs reinvestigation by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) which allows the observation of fine structural details. We reinvestigated five of these species: Chordodes gariazzi, C. heinzei, C. kolensis, C. muelleri, and C. ruandensis. All of them show crowned areoles occurring in clusters. These clusters are formed by crowned areoles that are surrounded by another areolar type. The females of C. kolensis and C. muelleri have polymorphic crowned areoles with both short and long filaments; these areoles are only observed along the ventral groove. Chordodes gariazzi, C. heinzei, and C. muelleri have five areole types, C. ruandensis has three different types of areole, and C. kolensis displays a sexual dimorphism where males have six types of areole and females have seven areole types. Chordodes gariazzi, C heinzei, and C. muelleri have tubercle areoles. Host data and a new distribution record of C. kolensis are reported.