Like all members of the genus Synodontis, S. victoriae has a strong, bony head capsule that extends back as far as the first spine of the dorsal fin.

[5] In S. victoriae, the spine of the dorsal fin is slightly shorter than the head, straight, smooth in the front and serrated on the back.

[3] All members of Syndontis have a structure called a premaxillary toothpad, which is located on the very front of the upper jaw of the mouth.

[3] On the lower jaw, or mandible, the teeth of Syndontis are attached to flexible, stalk-like structures and described as "s-shaped" or "hooked".

[3] The body color is brown or greyish silver on the back, white on the underside, with large round darker spots, which may be indistinct.

[1] The reproductive habits of most of the species of Synodontis are not known, beyond some instances of obtaining egg counts from gravid females.

[8] The population of the species is decreasing, largely due to the competition from introduced Nile perch in its ecosystem.