The Southern African hedgehog is said to be a slow mover; however, when threatened, it can move surprisingly fast at 6 to 7 km/h (3.7 to 4.3 mph).

[3] The Southern African hedgehog is insectivorous, with a wild specimen's diet consisting mainly of earthworms and crickets.

However, the South African hedgehog has evolved to become mostly omnivorous due to habitat loss and trash from human civilization being readily available.

The Southern African hedgehog is an omnivore and its diet typically consists of invertebrates, including beetles, termites, grasshoppers, moths, centipedes, millipedes, and slugs.

Although these hedgehogs can be found in most environments, they prefer grass and Bushveld that is not too damp and with a good covering of leaves and other debris.

[7] The hedgehog as an individual, typically has a home range of 200–300 meters from the area it is living in which commonly is a hole in the ground.

These hedgehogs typically live by themselves, except in the case of females rearing their young, for them, residency is more permanent for a period of time.

[2] In addition, people believe in some southern African cultures that smoke created from burning their spines and dried meat can keep spirits away.

A possible medicinal purpose of the Southern African hedgehog's fat is that it is believed to cure earaches in children.

[3] In captivity, they are able to be treated for both pneumonia and ringworm, which are two medical problems that Southern African hedgehogs typically face.