Digital Elevation Models (DEM) represent fundamental data for a wide range of Earth surface process studies. In many countries high resolution DEM are difficult to acquire. Therefore, global data sets are often used for local or regional scale assessments. Here we validate eight different global scale DEM based on differential GNSS ground measurements acquired in the Lowveld savanna of Kruger National Park, South Africa. The global scale DEM include the three TanDEM-X DEM (∼12 m, ∼30 m, ∼90 m posting), the two SRTM DEM (∼30 m, ∼90 m posting), the ASTER GDEM Vers. 3, the ALOS AW3D30 DEM (∼30 m posting) as well as the MERIT DEM (∼90 m posting).