This is a savanna species, mainly associated with open woodland and grassland with termitaria (Stuart and Stuart 2013). It is found in miombo woodlands in Zambia (White 2013) and montane bamboo forests in Tanzania (De Luca and Mpunga 2005).

This species ranges from central Tanzania south through Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, to Swaziland and northeastern South Africa (Mpumalanga and Limpopo Provinces; Stuart and Stuart 2013). Camera trapping studies in the Ka-Ndengeza and Vyeboom villages, Vhembe district, Limpopo province in South Africa confirmed this species' presence (L.H. Swanepoel pers. obs. 2014). Similarly the presence of Meller's Mongoose has recently been confirmed in the Lower Zambezi Protected Area Complex (Bird and Mateke 2013) as well as in the North Luangwa Valley where it was one of the two small carnivore species camera-trapped most often (White 2013). A possible record from Chobe N. P. in Botswana (Purchase et al. 2007), if substantiated, would be the first record for this country. It has been recorded to 1,850 m asl in Tanzania (De Luca and Mpunga 2005).

It has been recorded from several protected areas across its range.