Two actinomycete strains were isolated from within the fynbos-rich area surrounded by the horseracing track at Kenilworth Racecourse in Cape Town, South Africa. Rapid molecular identification indicated that the isolates belonged to the family Micromonosporaceae . Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence blast analysis, the isolates were identified as members of the genus Micromonospora . Phylogenetic analysis showed that the isolates clustered with each other and were most closely related to Micromonospora viridifaciens DSM 43909^T. Further 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis using EzTaxon revealed that the isolates are closely related to Micromonospora auratinigra TT1-11^T, Micromonospora chaiyaphumensis MC5-1^T, Micromonospora eburnea LK2-10^T, Micromonospora nigra DSM 43818^T and Micromonospora olivasterospora DSM 43868^T. DNA–DNA hybridization and physiological tests allowed genotypic and phenotypic differentiation of both isolates from related species; however, their high DNA–DNA relatedness showed that they belong to the same genomic species. Strain Y22^T ( = DSM 45644^T = NRRL B-24859^T) was selected as the type strain to represent this novel species, for which the name Micromonospora equina sp. nov. is proposed.