The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 10 letter word KNOBKERRIE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
K
N
O
B
K
E
R
R
I
E
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "South African club" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case south african club = knobkerrie.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does KNOBKERRIE mean?
KNOBKERRIE noun- A wooden stick like a club, used in southern Africa.