The underside of the body and tail of all three species is white. In contrast to Ourebia, Raphicerus has no bare patches below the ears and no tufts on the knees, and the straight horns are not conspicuously ridged but are rather smooth. The horns, borne only by males, are 25-127 mm long. R. campestris and R. sharpei do not have false hooves, but small ones are present in R. melanotis. The ears are long and narrow, the tail is short, and the legs are slender.
Females have four mammae.
These antelope inhabit a variety of habitats but require some dense cover. Their gait is unlike that of Ourebia, being a swift, less bounding run. Although they will drink water, if available, they do not seem to require free water. Radiotracking studies indicate that male R. melanotis occupy well-defined home ranges of about 2.5 ha. These areas evidently are territories that are defended and scent-marked with the preorbital glands, dung heaps, and urination.