The Springbok formerly occurred in huge numbers in the dry grasslands, bushland and shrubland of south-western and southern Africa, migrating sporadically in vast herds (treckbokken) in some of the southern parts of its range. These migrations or treks no longer occur, but some indication of the species’ former abundance can still be seen in seasonal concentrations on the areas of short vegetation which it prefers, e.g., in parts of the section of the Kalahari which lies in central and southern Botswana (East 1999). Springbok are primarily browsers, but do also take grass, favouring young succulent grass before it begins to lignify (Skinner 2013).

Historically, the Springbok's range covered the central and western regions of southern Africa, with a marginal extension into southwestern Angola and the western lowlands of Lesotho. The species still occurs very widely within its historical range, but in Angola it survives in greatly reduced numbers (East 1999; Skinner 2013).

In South Africa, the Springbok was exterminated over much of its natural range during the course of the late 1800s as a result of hunting and the effects of rinderpest. However, it has subsequently been reintroduced widely to private land and protected areas throughout its former range. The largest numbers occur on private game farms, mainly in the highveld of the Free State and Gauteng provinces and the Karoo and Kalahari thornveld of the Western, Eastern and Northern Cape provinces.

Smaller, introduced populations occur widely in extralimital areas, e.g., on private land and provincial reserves in parts of KwaZulu-Natal and the northern bushveld (East 1999).

Springbok are well represented in protected areas throughout their range, including Etosha National Park and Namib-Naukluft Park (Namibia), Makgadikgadi-Nxai Pan National Park (Botswana), the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park between Botswana and South Africa, and Vaalbos and Karoo National Parks and a number of provincial reserves in South Africa. The current status of the population in Iona National Park in Angola, where a population of 2,500 was estimated in 1975, is unknown. Springbok are also well represented in private lands, where they are actively managed. East (1999) estimated that about 60% of the total population occurs on private land and 12% in protected areas.