Southern lesser galagos are widely distributed across southern Africa, from Angola and Namibia in the west to Mozambique and South Africa in the east and south. Scientists are still working to confirm the northern limits of their range, and reports from several neighboring countries remain unverified.

A primate renowned for their adaptability, these galagos live in a variety of habitat types, including semi-arid Acacia woodlands (drought-tolerant ecosystems with dense populations of thorny Acacia trees and shrubs), savanna woodlands, gallery forests (a thin channel of forest growing along the banks of a river or wetland), forest edges, and open woodland areas; they show preference to forests and woodlands with thriving Acacia tree populations. They utilize all levels of the forest, from the canopy down to the lower vegetation, and sometimes even in the gardens of nearby human settlements!

The environments they inhabit have very unpredictable rainfall patterns, often being subjected to droughts; across much of their range, annual rainfall typically varies from around 10-30 inches (250-750 mm), depending on locality. Drier western regions (Namibia/Botswana edges) receive rainfall toward the lower end of this range, while more humid eastern regions (Mozambique) receive rainfall toward the higher end. The wet season lasts from October to March, and the dry season runs from April to September. Seasonal conditions heavily influence the behavior and movement patterns of the Southern lesser galago. During the wet season, when the earth teems with plant growth, they feed and move more through both canopy and understory layers. In contrast, the dry season often creates conditions for greater reliance on tree gums and exudates for the southern lesser galago, with individuals tending to concentrate activity around riparian (river-associated) habitats and remaining in Acacia-dominated patches. In the drier western parts of their range, they often reside within dried river channels neighboring Acacia tree patches.