Balgowan is a valley in the

KwaZulu-Natal KwaZulu-Natal (, also referred to as KZN) is a Provinces of South Africa, province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the government merged the Zulu people, Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu ("Place of the Zulu" in Zulu language, Zulu) and ...

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South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

. The town of Balgowan is not much more than an old trading store and a train station where locally grown timber is picked up. However, nearby is

Michaelhouse Michaelhouse is a full boarding senior school for boys founded in 1896. It is located in the Balgowan, KwaZulu-Natal, Balgowan valley in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The Spear’s Schools Index 2025 reco ...

, the

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

boarding school for boys in the Diocese of Natal, an exclusive private boarding school. The school complex, built in the English gothic style from red

Pietermaritzburg Pietermaritzburg (; ) is the capital and second-largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa after Durban. It was named in 1838 and is currently governed by the Msunduzi Local Municipality. The town was named in Zulu after King ...

brick, includes a chapel which is open to the public, featuring a stained glass rose window by Ervin Bossanyi and seven lancet windows by Margaret Agnes Rope. As elsewhere in the

KwaZulu-Natal Midlands The KwaZulu-Natal midlands is an inland area of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa that starts from Pietermaritzburg and ends before the Drakensberg mountain range; between Pietermaritzburg, Estcourt and Greytown. Area The largest city in the midla ...

, Balgowan has some wealthy farmers, mostly in the timber production industry (pine and eucalyptus) or in dairy and cattle farming. Popular niche soft drinks manufacturer Frankie's Soft Drinks Company is located in the town. The Midlands Meander, a scenic tourist route featuring arts and crafts, restaurants and accommodation, runs through Balgowan on the R103 road.

References

Populated places in the uMngeni Local Municipality {{KwaZuluNatal-geo-stub