Northern Cape
Kgalagadi · Ai-Ais/Richtersveld · Augrabies Falls
Self-drive
Stays in Northern CapeWhere to see
Where to see the Springbok in South Africa
The springbok is the national animal and the most widespread antelope in the dry half of the country. It lives where grass is short and water is scarce: the Karoo, Namaqualand, the Kalahari and the open grasslands of the Free State and the Northern Cape, and it does well on farmland, so you will see herds from the road long before you reach a park.
Antidorcas marsupialis
Planning a trip
When and where to find the Springbok
The springbok is the national animal and the most widespread antelope in the dry half of the country.
When to go, park by park
Here all yearEasiest viewing
| Park | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kgalagadi | Here | Here | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Here | Here | Here | Here | Here | Here | Here |
| Kwandwe | Here | Here | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing |
Darker months are each park's own best season, when thinner bush or scarce water makes viewing easier. A sighting is never guaranteed.
Best hours of the day
- Early morning and late afternoon. The Springbok is out through the day, and easiest to watch before the heat.
- Midday heat. Often resting in shade or near water.
Where to base yourself
- Northern Cape
Eastern Cape
Kwandwe · Camdeboo · Mountain Zebra
Eastern CapeBig FiveSelf-driveGuided drivesMalaria-freeStays in Eastern Cape
Western Cape
Gondwana · Karoo
Western CapeBig FiveSelf-driveGuided drivesMalaria-freeStays in Western Cape
Free State
Golden Gate Highlands
Free StateSelf-driveMalaria-freeStays in Free State
Ways to look
Drive yourself
Your own vehicle and pace, on the park's roads.
Where hosts record it
Guided drives from a lodge
A guide who knows where to look, with off-road and night drives in the private reserves.
Where hosts record it
Species
Antidorcas marsupialis
Records
2,542
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Springbok on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
More about the Springbok
The springbok is the national animal and the most widespread antelope in the dry half of the country. It lives where grass is short and water is scarce: the Karoo, Namaqualand, the Kalahari and the open grasslands of the Free State and the Northern Cape, and it does well on farmland, so you will see herds from the road long before you reach a park.
There is no closed season for them. What changes is the spectacle. After good rains in the arid west, herds gather in numbers on the fresh grass, and in spring the lambs arrive together within a few weeks of each other, which is the best time to watch a herd. The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and the Karoo parks hold the largest concentrations, and Namaqualand in August and September puts springbok in front of the flower fields.
The name comes from the pronking, a stiff-legged vertical leap with the back arched and the white crest along the rump flared open, which they do when alarmed and sometimes for no visible reason at all. Pair the Karoo for springbok with dark-sky stargazing, gravel riding and the Victorian villages of the interior.
When is the best time to see springbok?
Any time of year, since they are resident across the arid interior and easily seen. For the biggest herds, the months after good rains in the Kalahari and the Karoo, and for lambs, spring. Namaqualand in August and September combines them with the flower season.
Where are the best places to see springbok?
The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, the Karoo parks including Karoo National Park and Camdeboo, Mokala and Augrabies in the Northern Cape, and the open Free State grasslands. They are also common on farmland across the arid west, so many farm stays have them on the property.
Why do springbok pronk?
Pronking is the stiff-legged leap with the back arched and the white rump crest flared. It is generally read as a signal to a predator that the animal has seen it and is fit enough to outrun it, so the chase is not worth starting. Lambs also pronk in play, which is the version most guests see.
What is the Springbok?
The springbok is a medium-sized antelope found mainly in southern and southwestern Africa. The sole member of the genus Antidorcas, this bovid was first described by the German zoologist Eberhard August Wilhelm von Zimmermann in 1780. Three subspecies are identified.
Stays that give back
Where to stay for a chance to see the Springbok
Every stay on the Springbok page lists the species its host has recorded on or near the property. A record is a sighting, never a promise.
See where to stay