During the Second Boer War of 1899-1902, British forces employed observation balloons for reconnaissance against Boer commandos, continuing the military application of balloon technology developed in earlier conflicts. Though limited in effectiveness against mobile guerrilla forces, the balloons represented ongoing military interest in aerial observation and contributed to preparations for World War I aviation.

Boer War poets incorporated balloon imagery into their verses about imperial warfare and colonial conflict, with the technology appearing as both tool of empire and vulnerable target. Kipling and other British poets referenced aerial observation in their Boer War poetry, while the asymmetry between balloon-equipped British forces and Boer fighters influenced literary treatments of colonial warfare and technological disparity.