Principal-teacher conflict has become one of the most serious school-related battles. This type of conflict is detrimental to the school, and this problem is mainly attributed to the conflict that is left unattended or unmanaged. This study, therefore, investigates how the conflict between principals and teachers can be managed. This qualitative study was conducted in the ZF Mgcawu district in the Northern Cape, South Africa. This study followed a case study research design, selecting participants using the purposeful sampling method. Data were collected through the use of open-ended questionnaires and analysed thematically. The study's findings revealed that conflict management should play an important role in managing and reducing principal-teacher conflict. It also confirmed that unattended conflict between principals and teachers have detrimental effects on school culture and that functional conflict management strategies are necessary for conflict to be less destructive in the school environment. It is therefore recommended greater awareness about this topic in general. Specific strategies should be implemented to guide principals as well as teachers on how to manage conflict functionally.