Novel α-AgVO3/palygorskite nanocomposites were successfully prepared via a one pot deposition precipitation method. The 1D natural palygorskite nanoarchitectures served as an excellent supporting matrix, dispersant and growth-directing agent for the in situ loading of α-AgVO3 nanoparticles. Both the photocatalytic activity of the composites and the effect of the amount of palygorskite were investigated. The obtained 0D-1D α-AgVO3/palygorskite nanocomposites exhibited remarkably enhanced performance for photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) compared to pristine α-AgVO3 microbars under visible light irradiation. α-AgVO3/palygorskite composites with 40 wt% of palygorskite exhibited optimal photocatalytic activity for the degradation of RhB, which was approximately 6 times as high as that of pure α-AgVO3. Moreover, the optimal α-AgVO3/palygorskite nanocomposites also showed better photocatalytic disinfection activity of E. coli than pure α-AgVO3. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of the α-AgVO3/palygorskite composites should be attributed to the intimate contact resulting from electrostatic interaction between negatively charged palygorskite and α-AgVO3; the enhanced adsorption, absorption capability and valid dispersion with the introduction of palygorskite resulted in the decrease of α-AgVO3 nanoparticles' size and the effective transfer and separation of the photogenerated charge carriers. This work could provide a new clue for designing natural mineral based highly efficient visible-light responding photocatalysts for the organic pollutant degradation and bacteria inactivation.