But the win may have come at a cost, with key backs Jason Shoemark and Daniel Bowden under injury clouds going into next Saturday's match against the competition-leading Bulls in Palmerston North.
Bowden got a knee in the back and tried to continue but was forced off, while Shoemark rolled an ankle.
With the win, the Highlanders secured a bonus point and moved up to eighth place in the competition.
Though it was too early to say whether the injured duo would be available for the match against the Bulls in Palmerston North, Highlanders coach Glenn Moore said as far as they could see the injury problems were not structural.
They would be further assessed today.
Moore said the tight first half was what he expected and he felt the side just had to get more territory and gets its hands on the ball in the second half.
"That is the key to our team and winning.
It's about getting good phases and continuity into our game," he said.
"We'll get confidence out of this and that will be a key next week. We were bitterly disappointed last week in losing. We wanted to get a roll-on after beating the Crusaders and it felt like we let the Chiefs off the hook."
The scrum was another bonus, pushing back the Cheetahs at times.
Moore said prop Chris King was having an outstanding season and competition for places was a good thing.
He was expecting more of the same against the Bulls next Saturday.
"I suppose we're in a bit of a South African leg of our season at the moment. But it will be the same old style . . . big and physical. But that is how we train. We do contact sessions at training 100%."
Big No 8 George Naoupu said his powerful run to set up the match-clinching try was not planned.
About halfway through the second half, Naoupu took the ball off the line-out from fellow loose forward Adam Thomson and proceeded to bump off two tacklers and set up Steven Setephano for a try which broke the Africans.
"It wasn't planned or anything. I think it [the ball] was supposed to go out the backs and they had a move on. But I got it and decided to go for a run," he said.
The Highlanders brought some much-needed continuity into their game in the second stanza and kept the visiting side scoreless to nab 27 points after a tight first 40min.
Although it was a convincing win, and the biggest win for the Highlanders since the 2005 season when the side beat the Sharks 43-7, the Cheetahs were poor in facets of the game and buckled under pressure, both in defence and attack.
Credit, though, to the home side, which managed to remain composed after a frustrating first 40 minutes, when it failed to nail chances.
Fullback Israel Dagg had his best game of the season, scoring two tries, making two try-saving tackles, and looking a class act at the back.
Up front, Naoupu was strong on the drive, making the advantage line countless times, although at times he went a tad too far.
Thomson brought an attacking edge to his game, and notched two tries, showing he is a skilful footballer in all facets of the game.
Goal kicking could have been better, with six shots at goal missed by the home side, and Bowden passed the goal kicking to Mathew Berquist who eventually found his radar.
Best for the Cheetahs was hard-running fullback Hennie Daniller.
The losing side was so keen to get home players did not even shower at the ground, getting straight on the bus to go back to their hotel, almost immediately after the game.
Highlanders 32 (Israel Dagg 2, Adam Thomson 2, Steven Setephano tries, Mathew Berquist penalty goal, 2 conversions)
Cheetahs 8 (Corne Uys try, Jaques-Louis Potgieter penalty goal) Half-time: Cheetahs 8-5.
Crowd: 5700.
Alhambra-Union was a convincing 36-10 winner over Arrowtown in the Heartland Cup, played before the main game at Carisbrook.
The match was between the champion Dunedin club side and the champion country team from last year.
Alhambra-Union was always in control, leading 24-3 at half-time.
Paul Archbold and Wayne Gibson ran hard for Alhambra-Union, while Cowan Finch gained a feast of line-out ball for the winners.
Allan Wheeler fed his backs well in the second half.
Arrowtown's scrum was always going backwards but No 8 Daniel Iosefo got around the paddock well.
Reece Winter was enterprising in the Arrowtown backline.
Alhambra-Union 36 (Paul Archbold 2, Jone Paumau, David Taumoepeau, Ben Pereira, Matt Gordon tries, Luke Reihana 2 conversions, Sepulona Masoe conversion),
Arrowtown 10 (Reece Winter try, penalty goal, conversion).
Half-time: Alhambra-Union 24-3.
