A new genus of the family Sparassidae is described from Africa: Platnickopodagen. nov., occurring in Tanzania. It belongs to the subfamily Heteropodinae, sharing three promarginal teeth and intermarginal denticles, female palpal claw with slightly curved teeth, and similarly strongly developed elements of the trilobate membrane. It can be distinguished from other Heteropodinae by having more than four retromarginal teeth, AME equal to ALE or slightly larger, and posterior eye row straight to slightly procurved. Moreover, its opisthosoma exhibits a pentagonal shape. One species is newly described and is designated as type species: Platnickopoda normanisp. nov. (♂, ♀). One species, only known from females, is transferred to the new genus: P. saccata (Järvi, 1912) comb. nov. (from Rhitymna).