[3] In 1996, an analysis of mitochondrial DNA extracted from a mounted specimen of the bluebuck showed that it is outside the clade containing the roan and sable antelopes.

An archaic term used in accounts of hunting expeditions in South Africa is "potaquaine";[11] the origin and exact application are unclear.

Local names include swartwitpens (Afrikaans), kgama or phalafala (Sotho), mBarapi or palahala (Swahili), kukurugu, kwalat or kwalata (Tswana), ngwarati (Shona), iliza (Xhosa), impalampala (Zulu) and umtshwayeli (Ndebele).

[13][14] The sable antelope has a compact and robust build, characterized by a thick neck and tough skin.

Females and juveniles are chestnut to dark brown, while males begin darkening and turn black after three years.

[15] The underparts, cheek, and chin are all white, creating a great contrast with the dark back and flanks.

[13] Long, white hairs are present below the eyes, and a wide, black stripe runs over the nose.

[16] Sable antelopes live in savanna woodlands and grasslands during the dry season,[17] where they eat mid-length grasses and leaves.

[18] When sable antelopes are threatened by predators, including lions, they confront their attackers and fight-back aggressively.

Using their scimitar-shaped horns that can reach to its vulnerable rump area (which is generally preferred by predators), they can impale their enemy.

They are specialized browsing animals that feed upon foliage, mid-length grasses, leaves and herbs, particularly those that grow on termite mounds.

[20] The sable antelope presumably decreases its risk of being eaten by predators by staying away from feeding areas with high numbers of other grazers, but at the cost of prolonged and strenuous journeys to water.