Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
South-western Angola, Namibia (except for coastal desert), extreme southern Zambia, Botswana, western and central Zimbabwe, and north-central and southern South Africa (including isolated populations in south-eastern Karoo).
 
Population
Estimated population is unknown (2010).
Scaly-feathered Weaver (Sporopipes squamifrons) [XC611688]
by Tony Archer from City of Matlosana (near Klerksdorp), Southern DC, North West, South Africa (call)
Scaly-feathered Weaver (Sporopipes) [XC516023]
by Frank Lambert from R358 North of Pofadder, South Africa (call)
Proposed subspecies fuligescens (described from R Modder north of Bloemfontein, in Free State, South Africa) regarded as inseparable from individuals elsewhere in species' range.
The following 2 subspecies are recognised:
fuligescens Clancey, 1957 - Botswana, Zimbabwe and north-eastern South Africa.
squamifrons (Smith, A, 1836) - South-western Angola, Namibia, extreme southern Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and northern and central South Africa.