Habitats in Southern Africa

Large parts of southern Africa fall within the savanna biome, ranging from the moist savanna in the east and south east to the arid savanna in the west. Along the east coast and mountain slopes, thick forests can be found, while the highveld in South Africa consists of high altitude grasslands. The Karoo in the interior of South Africa is a semi-desert with shrub vegetation. The Kalahari, a thirstland within the arid savanna covers most of Botswana. In contrast, the Namib Desert in Namibia is a true desert with little vegetation.

Habitats and visibility

The listed visibility distances serve as a guideline only and may vary seasonally and by habitat. Note: 1m = 3.28ft or 1.09 yards

Arid savanna - up to 200m, maybe 300m
Typically found in large parts of Namibia, Botswana and the northern parts of South Africa.

Moist savanna - less than 200m
Typically found in the south-eastern part of Africa which receives a higher rainfall.

Grassland - up to 500m
Open plains in southern and western Namibia, and central parts of South Africa

Woodland - up to 200m
Typically Miombo woodlands found in central southern Africa such as northern Botswana, Zimbabwe, northern Namibia and most of Zambia.

Thickets - less than 100m
Parts of the arid savanna in Namibia and the Valley Bushveld in the south-eastern parts of South Africa.

Forest - less than 100m
Typically found in the tropical rainforests of central Africa and in some parts of south eastern Africa.