In the Shona language in Zimbabwe, this bird is called the chikwari or horwe and is considered a delicacy by outdoor and hunting enthusiasts.

It is found in grasslands and woodlands of Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Eswatini, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Swainson's spurfowl was described in 1836 by the Scottish zoologist Andrew Smith and given the binomial name Perdix swainsonii.

Smith noted that the spurfowl inhabited the banks of the rivers beyond Kurrichaine (Kaditshwene), the modern province of Limpopo in South Africa.

The specimen was collected on the “Banks of Rivers beyond Kurrichaine", Transvaal, South Africa by Andrew Smith.