'Parabuthus transvaalicus grows to a length of 90–110 millimetres (3.5–4.3 in), and is dark brown or black in colour.[2] Its pincers are thin, but its tail is thickened, with the sting segment being as wide as the rest of the tail.[2] It is nocturnal, resting in a shallow burrow under rocks during the day.[2] It resembles its congener P. villosus, which is less strictly nocturnal, hairier and has a more westerly distribution.