The natural (historical) distribution of Cape Grysbok is primarily associated with the Fynbos Biome and extends into the Forest, Succulent Thicket and Succulent Karoo Biomes and marginally into the Nama-Karoo and Grassland Biomes. They are absent from the Desert and Savanna Biomes. They are locally common in thickets, shrublands and the fynbos habitats. Dense cover is an important habitat requirement. Their presence in the high-altitude grasslands of the north-eastern Cape is conditional on the proximity of forest fragments and bush clumps, although they may also use long grass for cover (Castley and Lloyd 2013). They also enter developed areas such as vineyards and agricultural areas (East 1999), and have been blamed, along with the Common Duiker, for extensive damage to young shoots in tea plantations in the Cedarberg (C.T. Stuart and T. Stuart pers. comm. in Castley and Lloyd 2013). This only happens where there is suitable habitat in close proximity. Cape Grysbok are generally regarded as browsers (Stynder 2009). The inclusion of grass in the diet has also been reported (Manson 1974) but has been regarded as unimportant (Skinner and Chimimba 2005), but its importance may fluctuate with environmental changes (Faith 2011). More recently, however, some studies have shown that the Cape Grysbok is a highly selective browser (Kigozi et al. 2008, Kerley et al. 2010). Furthermore, Kerley et al. (2010) reported significant selection for grasses in their study. This is an adaptable species and can survive in human-modified landscapes provided that vegetation with the required understorey cover remains.

The Cape Grysbok is endemic to South Africa, and is largely confined to the Cape Floristic Region. It remains widespread and locally common within its historical range in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces. It also marginally occurs in the Northern Cape. The most northern confirmed record and locality is van Rhynsdorp, Western Cape Province (Skead 2011). In the Eastern Cape, little is known about its historical distribution (Skead 2007). Boshoff and Kerley (2013) provide two records for the Drakensberg/Lesotho but caution that they may be of material transported there through trade. The range has not expanded either naturally or through the private sector. If anything it has contracted through the loss of scattered habitat fragments that have been structurally altered (become less dense), or have been totally transformed through the introduction and expansion of alien invasive vegetation (Kerley et al. 2010), increased densities of megaherbivores (Tambling et al. 2013) and the expansion of certain agricultural industries in some areas (for example, rooibos tea plantations and vineyards). This trend is likely to continue with the effects of climate change making such fragments amenable to alternative land uses. In the Western Cape, the area of occupancy (AOO) calculated for properties for which Cape Grysbok presence is confirmed is 9,104 km², of which 5,451 km² is in provincial nature reserves, 1.8 km² in local authority nature reserves, 2,319 km² in national parks and 1,331 km² on private land (C. Birss unpubl. data). For more detailed discussion of the distribution range see East (1999) and Castley and Lloyd (2013).

Cape Grysbok are conserved in protected areas throughout their natural distribution range in the Western and Eastern Cape Provinces. In the Western Cape, the protected areas in which Cape Grysbok occurs, comprise ca 9,104 km², of which 5,451 km² is provincial nature reserves, 1.8 km² is local authority nature reserves, and 2,319 km² is national parks (C. Birss unpubl. data). Regulated harvesting through conservation legislation aims to ensure that off-takes are sustainable. In addition, it occurs widely in local authority and forestry reserves and on private land (East 1999). Research is being initiated by CapeNature and the Cape Leopard Trust to investigate the impacts of bush meat poaching in natural areas where Cape Grysbok occurs in close proximity to highly populated urban areas.While no direct conservation interventions are necessary at present, several interventions will benefit this and other species in the region:

1. Continue with biodiversity stewardship schemes to protect patches of remaining habitat, thus enabling better connectivity across the landscape for this species and enabling range shifts in adaptation to climate change.
   
2. Allow habitats to recover and interspecific competition to decrease by reducing stocking rate, especially of exotic species. Awareness and training programmes should be provided to landowners in key habitat areas. Provincial conservation authorities should also systematically monitor trophy hunting and translocation activities to gauge the sustainability of the practice and gather information for a Biodiversity Management Plan for Cape Grysbok.
3. Increased enforcement of laws protecting wildlife should be used to discourage illegal poaching. Linked to this is the substitution of sport hunting with dogs with alternative recreational opportunities.