The habitat of this species is confined to natural and seasonal water bodies within Lowland Fynbos that retain moisture during dry summers, facilitating proper aestivation for the frogs. They primarily inhabit densely vegetated seepage pools, vleis, and rivers. Although this species cannot tolerate extreme habitat disturbance, instances have been observed where they inhabit environments affected by encroachment from invasive alien plants.

This species occurs only in the coastal lowlands (between 10–30 m asl) in the southwestern part of Western Cape Province, South Africa. Its former range included the Cape Flats, however, it is now locally extinct in that area except for a cluster of isolated breeding sites at Kenilworth Racecourse. Its eastern distribution is severely fragmented, known from only five localities between the Overstrand and the Agulhas Plain. Its area of occupancy (AOO) is 156 km² and its extent of occurrence (EOO) is 2,470 km².

Conservation Actions
Approximately 40% of the species range occurs within protected areas, including Agulhas National Park and Groot Hagelkraal Private Nature Reserve. The remaining subpopulation in Cape Town occurs within the Kenilworth Racecourse Conservation Area, which is managed to some extent to the benefit of the species. The discovery of the species at Nuwejaars Wetlands Special Management area has helped improve the conservation status of the species through an increase in the known range. Conservation management actions here, including clearing of alien vegetation, appear to benefit the species, which is now the subject of a collaborative monitoring and research project on the Agulhas Plain, including several implementing partners.

Conservation Needed
Strengthened habitat protection and management is needed in view of the species’ highly fragmented distribution. Possible ex situ and reintroduction interventions could be considered for smaller subpopulations that are under threat from development, for example at Betty's Bay. Clearing of alien plants and monitoring water quality is recommended for all sites.

Research Needed
Continued and refined monitoring of breeding activity, including establishing estimates of population size at various sites will be critical in measuring the impact of conservation interventions, for example alien plant clearing. It has become clear that mitigating the effects of invasive alien plants, improving fire regimes, and limiting grazing from livestock, improves the calling densities of these frogs (K. Lynch April 2024, pers. observations).